Embry's Secret Imprint
by SoundShield11
Summary: Embry imprints on Jake, but keeps it hidden. Written mostly from Embry's POV, the story covers how Embry deals with the secrets of his life. M/M Slash,but no lemons. Rated T for alcohol, mild violence, and some language.  Disclaimer:I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First, maybe only fic. This story simply flowed in my mind, and I have absolutely no idea if anyone will like it, but I figured that I might as well write it down. It's a non-graphic slash (M/M), so if that concept offends you, feel free to stop reading here. At this point, there's no sex or anything, but who knows, maybe someone will think that it should be continued. For now, however, it is a simple story. Read & Review if you're inclined to do so.

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><p>I had kept the imprint a secret for over a year. After all, Jake had been pining over Bella at the time, which obviously meant that he had no interest in me. He was my best friend, and that was the relationship that we'd have, as long as it meant that he was happy. At least, that's what I kept telling myself, but hiding thoughts from the pack wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. However, since none of them had figured out that I was gay, I was doing something right.<p>

I guess I should go back to the beginning. My name's Embry Call, and I'm the bastard child of La Push. Fortunately Quil & Jake had made it their mission to show that I was wanted here, otherwise life would have been unbearable. The small community knew how I was raised without a father and had been welcoming to my mother, despite her being a Makah. It was always suspected that Sam Uley was my half-brother, but a simple blood link was never enough to make me interested in him or the man who had left before my birth. My mom loved me and provided me with all of the necessities of life, but raising a child as a single parent was difficult. Her having to work so much limited our time together, but I would always be deeply attached to her. That's something Jake & Quil both understand, with each of them having lost a parent. Jake is extremely close to his father, but that stems from having to help take care of the wheelchair-bound elder. I have to wonder if our similar losses had anything to do with our friendship, but I've never asked. I was just grateful to have friends.

No one knew that I was gay, never interpreting that there was something out of place behind the shy, quiet exterior. I was confident that I'd be able to hide it forever, but the introduction to a mindlink with "the pack" made it a lot more difficult. Still, by focusing on other things or drowning out my thoughts with a list of songs that nobody wanted to hear, I had kept up the secret that I valued above all else. Well, aside from the whole "I turn into a giant wolf and hunt vampires" secret, but on the reservation I felt that even that would be more tolerated than my sexual preferences.

Then came the day that I imprinted, which was important to the pack because it marked the day that the true Alpha joined. Now, Jake didn't want to be Alpha, but his phasing was good for numbers and power, as he did hold a similar level of strength as Sam. Upon seeing him going through the changes, our eyes met, and I couldn't believe the pull that I felt. I had seen past his normal exterior, showing the confusion, hurt, loneliness, and fear that had made my wolf latch on and imprint. I was so confused that I wasn't able (or to be honest, willing) to phase after he completed the change. If I had, he and the rest of the pack would know what happened, and that was not going to happen. Jake had been dealing with Bella at the time, who was his "one true love," and marking him as a clear heterosexual. I escaped that night without giving it away, and over time I perfected my hiding techniques.

As the pack grew, I found it easier to blend into the background and keep my thoughts masked. Quil had followed after Jake, reuniting our trio. Seth & Leah Clearwater had joined in a bit after, and we recently added Brady Fuller & Collin Littlesea. Everyone being focused on training up the new pups was a blessing, keeping any attention off of me. Everyone had their own role within the group. Sam as Alpha was the authoritarian. Jared Cameron, the Beta, and Quil served as the ones to lighten the mood with a joke. Paul Lahote was the hothead, Jake was the overachiever, Leah was the harpy, and Seth was the happy-go-lucky kid (stark contrast between the siblings, eh?). Even the pups fit into the role of pranksters, causing small amounts of trouble wherever they went.

I guess that I was the quiet, sensitive one that people felt that they could talk to. Everyone knew that I was good at keeping secrets – in both human and wolf form – and that I was always willing to listen. I had helped Jake in dealing with Bella, calmed Quil after his imprinting on a 2 year old (which the others found to be a constant source of amusement), and even tried to comfort Leah, who was having difficulties being around Sam so much after their relationship came to a sudden end with his imprinting on her cousin, Emily. Yeah, I was the perfect confidante, providing whatever help I could and locking up their secrets in my mental vault. They often said that I deserved to find happiness and love, but little did they know that it wasn't possible. I simply nodded along and said that I'm sure I'd find someone eventually.

Things all changed one weekend in the summer. Sam had orchestrated a set of competitions to find out who the most well-rounded pack member was, stating that it would be worth our while to try to win. When Jake won, he expected to get some time off from patrols or something, but instead Sam announced that Jake would get to travel to Seattle for 3 days, escaping the reservation for a bit and getting some well-deserved downtime. Sam also said that Jake could take any two pack members he wanted, which naturally meant that Quil & I were going to benefit. The next weekend we were checking into a decent hotel. We had gotten hold of some fake IDs, and fully intended on checking out what big city clubs were all about.

After getting a quick bite to eat, we headed into a nice looking club near our hotel. The fakes had worked well, and we were sitting at the bar, having to work to get enough alcohol into our systems to get drunk. A few drinks in and I noticed that Jake seemed to be feeling the effects more than Quil & I. He was talking to a girl that had taken an interest in him. It was then that I sensed that his beer had something else in it, but before I could stop him, he swigged down the last half of it. Jake was extremely dizzy immediately, but his body temperature had kept the drug from its goal of knocking him out. I looked at Quil and told him that I was going to take Jake back up to the room, not mentioning that someone had tried to drug him. As I helped a staggering Jake back, he began to get angry about my cockblock, but I refused to let him get taken advantage of. He was my imprint, and even though I had settled on the fact that he would never be mine, I wasn't going to let him get hurt by someone looking to get an easy lay.

Finally, we made it back into the room. I left him on the bed as I gathered up a large bucket of ice, trying to help cool him as his body burned off whatever it was invading his system. I stroked his hair as I placed the ice on his forehead, trying to soothe him as best I could. Fortunately the heat was doing its job, but I was so enveloped in trying to care for Jake that I didn't sense Quil watching. As I leaned down to kiss his forehead, I heard the gasp from behind me and Quil's words let me know that my secret was out.

_"You love him, don't you?"_


	2. Chapter 2

__A/N: I decided I'd at least write another chapter, as there were some positive reviews to the first post. I won't be posting daily (work calls again), but I will try to maintain the story if there's interest in my doing so. Thanks to those who decided to review. I appreciate the encouraging words for a new writer!

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><p><em>"You love him, don't you?"<em>

The color drained out of my face as I thought of a way to talk my way out of the situation. Only one came to mind, so I figured it was worth a shot.

"Man Quil, how much have you had to give you crazy thoughts like that?" I chuckled.

"Not enough for me to not recognize what I just saw. Caring for a sick friend is one thing, but I'm pretty sure that the little kiss showed that it meant a little more than that to you." He responded.

Well…so much for that plan. I guess I couldn't question my friend's observational abilities after this. After seeing no way out, I realized that I needed to bite the bullet and at least offer some explanation. I wouldn't go as far as to mention the imprint, as one lost secret was more than I could take tonight.

Jake seemed to have fallen into a relatively peaceful sleep when I headed to the door with Quil at my heels. We walked to the hotel lobby and sat down. I still had no idea how he was going to react, but there wasn't much that I could do at this point. With that mentality, I finally spoke up.

"I'm gay." I stated, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Quil just sat there absorbing the simple piece of information. I tried to read his face, but the number of emotions that were running across it made things difficult. I felt like I saw pieces of confusion, sadness, a trace of anger, and finally, what I hoped to be a degree of understanding.

"Why did you hide this from us?" He asked lowly. There was an obvious tint of hurt in his voice, which I couldn't really understand.

"Why did I not ever tell you I was gay? Why would the unwanted half-brother of the reigning Alpha; the shy, bastard child of La Push have any interest in bringing up another reason why he will never fit in? " I asked as the tears began to stream down my face. Years of pent up frustration were finally beginning to spill over as I continued. "It was in my best interest to keep quiet. Why would I ever want to ruin what few friendships I had gained? I honestly can't say how you & Jake would respond to the fact, and we're all aware of how insults like 'fag' and 'pansy' are thrown around in the pack. You also know how close-minded and intolerant people in our community are. Even as a protector of the tribe, people fear the thought that I could infect others with my sexuality. It wouldn't surprise me if Sam or the Council decided to throw me out if they found out!" I was beginning to shout by the end of my rant.

I did not expect Quil to pull me into his chest as I continued to sob. I mean, we are best friends, but after what I said, I half expected – make that completely expected – him to just walk away. Instead, he sat there, comfortingly rubbing my back as I let myself fall apart. After several minutes I had recollected some semblance of respectability and pulled away.

"So you're not completely disgusted by me?" I asked apprehensively.

"Em, you're my best friend. We've known each other for most of our lives, and who you're attracted to is not going to be what changes that." He said encouragingly. "Plus, from what I can tell, you're more interested in Jake than me, which although it offends me slightly, means that I've got nothing to worry about" he joked with a light push.

I sighed heavily, not wanting to think about how right he really was. There was never going to be another object of my obsession. Sure, I had grown up marveling at how attractive some of the guys were, but since the imprint there was no one that interested me other than Jake. It was impossible to think of anyone else, even as I tried to keep my mind from thinking of him as more than a friend.

"What can I say, he's just better looking than you" I said with a smirk. "Not that it matters. It's just a bit of an infatuation. I'll get over it at some point, as it's not like anything can ever come of it. We've all seen how he still thinks of Bella, even knowing that she's in love with Edward. When he came back after the whole Italy fiasco, she made it obvious that she only wanted Jake as a friend. Considering that she's a magnet for trouble, I can only imagine that we're going to end up having to deal with the red head like we dealt with the dreaded leech, and that'll end up bringing on another wave of Jake's obsessing over her. Leave it to me to fall for a straight guy…" My thoughts trailed off at the end. I knew Bella was nothing but trouble for us, but as she was still a human, it meant that we still had to help protector. Plus, as much as it hurt to do so, I had even more of a reason to protect her. I knew that Jake would be devastated if anything would happen to her, and I couldn't stand to see him in that much pain.

"I really just wish you would have opened up to one of us, Em. You've always been there helping us through our problems, and it's not fair that you've been carrying this around for so long. I want you to know that you can always come to me if you have anything you need to talk about. Contrary to popular belief, I actually can control my thoughts pretty well." Quil said as he pulled me into a hug. "Now, let's go get some food. I've already burned off that small dinner, and we both know that Jake is going to be out of it for a while."

I agreed and walked with Quil to a small diner that was still open. We went in and got a burger and fries, which sufficed as a small late night snack. We chatted for a while, him promising that he wouldn't let my secret out, and ultimately I felt better than I had in a long time. At least now someone else knew one of my secrets, and from his reaction I could only hope that someday I could let the pack know. For now, however, I was content with having one person to go to, which was more than I had ever hoped for, considering how freaked out I had expected him to be. We finished the meal and went back to the hotel, crashing as soon as we got there. With Jake sprawled out across the first bed, Quil & I shared the other, which was not as awkward as I would have expected. He still viewed me as his brother, his best friend, and even my coming out hadn't dissolved that. I felt at peace, with only the fleeting thought that I wished that it was Jake in the bed with me as I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Another short update, but I can't really write in large bursts. They may get longer with time, but for now I can just come up with episodes. Hope you like it, and if you feel like it, review (with criticism or praise). It's nice to know if I should bother continuing, but I won't harp on it too much.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Taking a note from Hank's Lady (who's stories and constant updates inspired me to try my hand at writing), I think I'll try to respond to some reviewers.

Hank's Lady: Glad that you liked it. I try to balance some happiness with the sadness, as this chapter will show. Hope you enjoy this one!

DRBR-Lovely & Awkward Seductress: Thanks for the review. I hope I don't disappoint as the story starts rolling! I'm a rookie writer, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to make them!

Layla: I actually have considered making Seth gay, but I'm not sure how to best incorporate an OC. It may not come up yet, but he'll probably end up gay. Not sure what I'll do as far as getting him some love though...

oh2byoung: I'm glad that you like how I've represented the characters. Also, I appreciate your words of encouragement throughout the process. Hope you're beginning to heal up!

And without further stalling, let's get to the chapter!

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><p>I woke up before everyone else the next morning. I felt surprisingly refreshed, knowing that I could trust Quil. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little afraid of him slipping up, but there wasn't much I could do about it at this point. I took a shower and clicked on the television while the other two slept. It wasn't long before the other two woke up, leaving Jake and I to talk while Quil got cleaned up.<p>

"Dude, what happened last night?" He asked as he held his head. "I still have a headache, and we're supposed to recover quickly!"

I ran through the events of the evening, explaining how his drink had been spiked and I'd dragged him back up here. Naturally I left out what Quil had discovered while he was passed out.

"Thanks man, I really appreciate you looking out for me like that" he said, hanging his head.

His appreciation meant more to me than he could understand, but I shrugged it off and told him that it was no big deal. In all reality, he didn't need to thank me. I'd do anything for him, and last night _was_ nothing. We joked around until Quil was done showering. Jake took a couple of painkillers before heading into the bathroom himself.

"How's he feeling?" Quil asked as he pulled on a shirt.

"Pretty good, still a mild hangover it seems." I responded.

"Do you ever plan on telling him? He's your best friend too, don't you think it's only fair that you let him know?" I should have known Quil wasn't going to let it go that easily.

"Not right now Quil. Now shut up, I don't want him hearing anything." I said and he decided to leave it for now.

We went out on the town, seeing several street vendors selling fake things, questionable ladies selling themselves, and a lot of other sights that you would never see in a small town. We settled on seeing a movie, which may not seem exciting, but the theater was much nicer than the ones back home. All in all, it was a relaxing day, and we finished it off by going to a pretty nice restaurant near the hotel. Jake insisted on buying my dinner to make up for costing me last night, and finally I caved. As usual, his kind action meant a lot to me, and Quil gave a knowing look at my strange euphoria. Fortunately it's not too surprising to see a wolf get excited about free food.

Jake decided to crash instead of going out again, but Quil insisted on living up the few days away from the reservation. I decided to go with him, as there was no telling what trouble he could get into when left to his own devices. We found a club and Quil was on the dance floor – no real shock there – and talking to an assortment of girls. He disappeared for a little while, and I began to worry as I sat there sipping on a beer. When he reappeared with a flushed look on his face and a huge grin, I realized that I didn't want to know. Of course, that didn't stop him from telling me about the girl he'd gone into the restroom with. Sometimes I wish that we kept some things to ourselves…

We got back to the hotel, and I was surprised when Jake wasn't there. I called his cell, but got no response, and decided that I'd try to track him down, just in case anything was wrong. I knew I should be able to find him, as the imprint pull could be literal at times. I was led to the same diner that Quil and I had been at the night before and saw Jake sitting in a booth. I was about to join him, but then I saw that there was a girl across from him and they were talking with smiles on their faces and their hands clasped. She looked like she could be Quileute and seemed slightly familiar, but I couldn't get over the fact that he'd taken interest in girl so quickly. I'd expected Quil to be flirtatious, but Jake? To say it hurt would be an understatement, but I forced myself to go back towards the hotel. I stopped by the store and grabbed a handle of vodka, planning to drown the pain that was devouring my heart. I know, I've said that he was straight and it shouldn't hurt, but I had always held out hope that I might find a way to interest him once he was over Bella. The fact that I was seeing my imprint with someone else was a major part of it, but I'd have probably have been distraught even without its influence. I was learning that hope was one of the most bittersweet emotions out there…

I trudged up to the room taking deep swigs from the bottle. Quil took one look at me before walking over and taking the bottle from my hand, putting it on the table.

"What happened, Em?" He asked worriedly.

"Nothing happened! Can't I just get drunk without needing to have issues?" I practically shouted at him.

"There's a difference between happy drinking and depression, bud. If you weren't having issues, you wouldn't be crying right now with a lost look in your eyes."

Damn…was I really that obvious? I guess that after all these years, he could read me quite well. I told him what I'd seen and took my bottle back from where he had placed it. He conceded, but demanded that I share. As I watched him cringe with every shot, we spoke about my hope of someday having a shot with Jake, and how it just hurt more than anything I'd felt before. He didn't really have that much experience with serious relationships, but he was still able to console me a bit. Within the hour we were out of booze and agreed to call it a night. As we were drifting away on the separate beds, I heard Quil's final passing remark: "Damn Em, you act like you imprinted on him." Afterward he was out, but his words let me know that I had to hide my pain better than before.

I woke up with a massive hangover, and Quil seemed to be feeling the effects as well. "God, I hate Vodka" he mumbled. "Why'd you drink so much of it then!" I asked in disbelief, feeling that he'd used the opportunity to get free booze. He looked down before whispering "To keep you from drinking it all…" It hit me that my depression had led my friend to endure this hangover because he wanted to make sure that I didn't do anything stupid. "Thanks Quil," I said, pulling him into an embrace. I felt like a horrible friend, but was extremely grateful to have someone like Quil there for me. I'd make sure to make it up to him someday. We showered and went to go get breakfast, but knowing that Jake had stayed out with whoever that girl was weakened my appetite and, when combined with a throbbing headache, put a serious damper on my mood.

I got a text from Jake, telling us to come see this car show that was happening downtown. I figured that we had nothing better to do, and responded that we'd be there shortly. I wanted to see him (like always), but I almost turned around when I saw Jake and _her_ looking at some classic muscle car. I probably would've made up an excuse and bolted, but Quil kept me going forward.

"Hey guys!" Jake yelled happily, dragging the older girl over to us. I guess it was time to get over my jealousy and be as good of a friend as I could…

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><p>Trying to decide how cruel to be in this story...could go either way hehe.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Another relatively quick update (and hey, even a little bit longer this time). Probably won't have another update for a few days though. Will try to get one up as soon as possible (if it seems people want it, of course).

As per the usual disclaimer, I own nothing. Also, feel free to review if you're so inclined.

Responses:

TurnItUp03: Her identity will quickly be revealed, but for now Jake is going to remain clueless about things. At least he'll be happy…for now hehe

Oh2byoung: Sorry Matt, but I'm gonna be a little bit more peaceful than turning my softy character into a killer. Hopefully you won't get too upset though, and I hope that you get back in decent shape again. Get well bud!

Hank's Lady: I'll play nice, Sarah. I try to limit my cruelty. Should be a fun time seeing who's nicer/crueler to the couple over time!

Alas, let's get this show on the road.

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><p>"Embry, Quil, it's so nice to see you guys again!" the girl greeted happily. I was beyond confused. Who would we possibly know in Seattle? It's not like many people left the reservation, and I definitely wasn't one to have that many friends. Looking at Quil I could tell that he wasn't sure who she was either.<p>

Noticing the confused look on both of our faces, she continued. "You don't remember me?" She said with feigned hurt. "It's me, Rachel!"

Jake's older sister went to school in Seattle. She had occasionally been around when Jake, Quil, and I were hanging out, but we didn't spend much time around her. After the pain of their mother's death, Rachel had gone to school while her twin, Rebecca, had run off to Hawaii. I hadn't seen her in years, and to be honest had never really paid her too much attention other than general pleasantries. I was always occupied with other…distractions…when I went over to the Black's house.

My mood took a complete upturn at the revelation. "Oh, Rach! I didn't even recognize you after all these years. How are you?" I inquired. Thus began the discussion about how she was enjoying school in the big city and that she had gotten a text the night before from Jake. She talked about how they had gone to the diner to catch up and how he had stayed at her apartment so that she could bring him to see this major show, full of cars that she knew he would drool over. It was a well-known fact that Jacob was obsessed with cars, and coming to the city was the only way to see much outside of La Push's beat up collection of vehicles. Rachel really did know what Jake would want to see while on vacation.

We spent the day walking around the car show, and Jake practically cried as he watched an auction full of his dream cars. It pained me to see his sadness as he watched each car go to a new owner, and I wished more than anything that I had the ability to get him one of the machines that he longed for. I knew that there was nothing that I could do, but I felt like a lousy imprint. I couldn't even provide for his one true passion, and that thought alone made me cringe. I didn't deserve him at all.

Eventually Rachel had to break off, leaving Quil, Jake, and I to get a late dinner. We walked into a steakhouse and enjoyed a fun meal, with a lot of the conversation being dominated by Jake's recounting of his favorite cars of the day and how he planned on opening a shop so he could start saving up for one. It was a relaxing dinner, but I still felt the twinge of guilt that I couldn't do anything for him. We returned to the hotel, deciding to stay in since we'd have a long drive the next day. Quil decided that we should flip for who got the empty bed, but I tried to argue that Jake should get it since this was his trip. Jake didn't accept that, wanting it to be fair, so Quil flipped the coin. My friend had the best luck. I seriously felt like he would do well in Vegas, and he won the toss, like usual. He winked at me before it finally registered that his win meant that I'd be sharing the bed with Jake.

We lay down, comfortably chatting as we wound down. Slowly we all drifted into the darkness, and I was happy to be so close to my imprint. As he fell asleep, I listened to the rhythm of his breaths, his steady heartbeat, and his soft snoring. It worked as a perfect lullaby, taking me into a blissful sleep. If only I could have this on a regular basis…

As always, I woke up first the next morning. Jake had ultimately ended up on his stomach, but his arm had become draped across my chest at some point. It was the most relaxing feeling ever and I never wanted to be out of his arms. Sadly, I pulled myself out from under his limb, not wanting him to feel awkward about it later. I stepped into the shower, preparing myself for the long drive back. Afterward I woke the other two up and we grabbed breakfast before beginning the drive back to La Push.

The ride back was quite amusing. The car was filled with the sound of horrible singing to whatever was on the radio and various jokes & teasing, making the trip seem a lot shorter than the mileage would indicate. Jake dropped us off, and my mood immediately dropped when I wasn't around him. I walked into the house and found mom sitting on the couch. She inquired as to how the trip went, and I went through a list of the highlights, including that Jake got sick (but leaving out the fact that a bar & drugs were involved). "You really take care of that boy don't you? There's no telling how bad off he'd be without you. The same goes for Quil. You're one heck of a friend, son." I smiled lightly and brushed it off. There wasn't much I wouldn't do for either of them.

As a couple of weeks passed, things were pretty quiet around the reservation. News of deaths in the Seattle was disturbing, however, and all of us could feel that something was coming. Even with that expectation, we still tried to enjoy ourselves until we could do something. Today's diversion was one of our favorite activities: cliff-diving.

I watched as the pack was taking turns doing flips and such off of the rock. Everyone was there, with the exception of Brady & Collin, who were patrolling, and Leah, who typically avoided hanging around the pack when it wasn't necessary. I was sad that she hadn't been able to truly get over Sam, but I didn't judge her. I didn't need to read her mind to understand how much her heart ached.

It was Seth, however, that had me confused. The usually happy youngster was dazing out into the ocean, not seeming to be interested in taking a dive. All of the others were chilling on the beach and seemed to have pulled out a cooler as they prepared the fire pit. I walked over to the kid and put my arm around his shoulder. "What's got you down, pup?" I asked as he sighed, but remained quiet. "Come on Seth, you know that you can talk to me" I urged. He finally came around, asking "Are you sure that you can keep things quiet from the pack?" I nodded and he continued.

"I'm going to need you to not flip out or judge me" he said sadly.

"I'll never judge you kid. You know that I'm here for all of you." I reassured.

"I feel like I'm living a lie. I'm happy and all, but the truth is…I put up a front, talk about girls and things with the others, but…I think that I might be gay." He looked up at me, trying to gauge my reaction. When he didn't see disgust, he continued. "I've never really dated anyone before and growing up I just didn't really notice guys or girls. But this whole wolf thing pretty much pushed me through puberty, and I can't help it but I find guys more attractive than girls. I'm just afraid of what the guys would say. I know we see each other all the time, but I swear that I'm not trying to eye them up. I just don't want them to think I'm a freak…" He sighed heavily as he finished. "Please tell me that you're not going to tell them. I don't want you all to hate me, Em." At that, a couple of tears began to fall down his face.

"Oh Seth, I could never hate you. You're way too good of a kid for that. You can't help who you love and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it." I said, wiping his cheek. I wasn't ready to let him know how much I understood, but I had to comfort him. I hadn't realized how confused he had to have been. Phasing so young had basically forced his body through a quick puberty, changing him in ways that none of us (outside of the other two pups) could understand. The next words out of his mouth depressed me more than I could imagine.

"I really just wish I could imprint. At least then I'd be straightened out and be normal like everyone else…" He said lowly.

"I never want you to think like that again Seth. You are who you are, and you shouldn't let anything change that." I hesitated, but decided that he needed to know that he wasn't alone. "Plus…well, you're not the only one who's gone through these feelings." I whispered.

He looked at me as a clear sense of understanding crept through his face. "Are you?" He inquired. I simply nodded and he put a hand on my shoulder. "Thanks. It's nice knowing that I'm not alone. Your secret is safe with me." I smiled, knowing that I had at least brightened his mood a little. Considering how well he had hid his own secret, I knew that I had no risk of the others finding out through him.

"Come on" I said. "The others look like they're starting up a fire and I think I smell some food down there." He laughed and we walked over to the edge.

"Really Em, thanks for being there. I feel a lot better having gotten that off my chest."

"You won't be thanking me for too long" I said as a grin took over my face.

"What do you –"

Before he could finish the sentence I had pushed him over and he was falling towards the water. I laughed as I jumped, following him down into the refreshing ocean. "You jerk!" he yelled as we surfaced, acting like he was angry. The kid's beaming smile gave him away. "All right, let's go eat. You know that there won't be anything left if we wait for too long." I joked. And with that, we swam towards the fire and enjoyed a relaxing night with the pack.

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><p>Oh the joy of a happy chapter. Reviews are appreciated. Hope it's not too bad for a first fic, but low response does limit my enthusiasm.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I know it's not original, but I feel like Eclipse's major battle is a good story item. Hope you like the chapter. Next one should be up in a couple days, but I finally have a longterm plan for what to do with the story. Review if you feel like it!

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing.

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Oh2byoung: Glad that I caught you off guard. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Hank's Lady: I can be nice occasionally, but not for too long ;)

TurnItUp03: Yeah, dropped a few clues, but left it flexible in case I changed my mind. And now, I'm confident that I have a plan for Seth...

RainGoddess2040: Glad you've enjoyed it. Sadly, the happy ending can't happen, as I had a rush of ideas on what to do with the story and I'm not ready to end it yet. If you hate seeing him suffer, this story may be hard to read at times, if I decide to be cruel.

Now, time for the story!

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><p>It wasn't too long before our fears were realized. Sam had called an emergency pack meeting and we all were sitting at his house waiting for the news.<p>

"Well, I got a call from Carlisle Cullen today. Apparently one of the leeches has the ability to see the future. The recent deaths in the Seattle area weren't random, which isn't too unexpected. She says that someone is creating an army, planning to come here. Although she hasn't seen the leader, everyone expects that it's the red headed leech, angry after Edward killed her mate. She swore that she'd kill Bella one day, so it looks like we may have to intervene. I will not have a human die on my watch as Alpha." I watched Jake tense up at the mention of Bella. He still loved her, and the thought of all of this chaos being directed towards her tore through him. I knew that I'd have to protect her with everything I had, not because I particularly cared about her, but to prevent Jake from having a breakdown.

Sam continued on, discussing how we were going to be training with the Cullens. That garnered the first opposition, primarily from Paul, but I'd be lying if I said that I was looking forward to working with them. It just didn't feel natural. Apparently one of them, Jasper, was experienced in killing newborns. I couldn't see how they'd be different from what we were used to fighting, but I knew better than to argue with Sam.

We took off for a clearing that was on the treaty line. Today, all we did was listen to them talk. The experienced leech discussed how newborns were stronger, but inexperienced in how to control their bodies. He said to avoid easy kills, and rambled on about how to avoid getting hurt. The pack seemed to share a sense of annoyance, feeling that we didn't really need to be taught how to defend against what we were created to destroy. The information was useful, but it felt wrong to be taking advice from our sworn enemies. Still, we were there to work together, and we would do what it takes to ensure that Bella (and everyone else that could come across the newborns) was safe.

That's when Jasper suggested sparring. We agreed to observe today, listening at the pointers he gave while fighting his "family." It was kind of amusing watching the fast action fighting between their kind. He worked in various pointers, like never taking your eyes off of your opponent before they're dead (again). He even went as far as taking on more than one of the other Cullens at a time, showing how to avoid getting surprised. As much as I hated to admit it, his fighting style was impressive and he had good advice. We left that night, agreeing to meet up the next day in the early afternoon.

The next day, we met with Sam and went to the same clearing as before. Today we agreed that we'd join in on the sparring, thinking it would be nice to get a taste of the fighting style that we'd face. I watched as Sam faced off against Jasper, Paul wanting to go after Emmett, and Jake taking on Carlisle himself. He wanted to try his luck against Edward, but we all felt a little fear of his trying to take the fight too seriously. It made me cringe as I watched Carlisle land a few blows on Jake and it took everything that I had not to jump in to defend him. My wolf was quieted only by the fact that we both understood that Carlisle had the most control of any of them and would never take things too far and that Jake needed the training to help him prepare against the real enemies. It still didn't make it easy, but my wolf was elated once Jake pinned Carlisle, ending the fight. The pack congratulated him as being the quickest to down his opponent, though Paul and Sam had both fared well in their respective battles. Shouldn't be too surprising though, as Sam & Jake were both capable of being Alphas and Paul was one hell of a fighter as it was.

Leah, Jared, Quil, and I were up next. I drew the blonde girl, who just stared at me with a clear look of disgust.

"You ready mutt? Are you sure that we don't need to put muzzle on you to keep you in check?" She sneered. The others weren't kidding when they said that she was the bitch of the group.

I charged at her, narrowly dodging one of her fists as I tried to land a bite. Unfortunately, she got her leg up, causing me to trip and skid for a few feet. She smirked before we continued our heated match, continually antagonizing me as we fought. After several back and forths, however, I finally caught her off guard and tackled her. I threw my body on top of her and put my head down to hers, signifying that I could end her existence if I wished. She had a small smirk, but conceded with a simple "Not bad pooch." I was a little tired of the dog references, but decided that two could play at that game. I opened my mouth and licked her face before jumping off and rejoining my pack. The look she gave was one of shock and disbelief, which more than made up for the horrible taste. The pack couldn't contain their laughter at my antics, and I felt pretty proud.

Leah easily handled the motherly vampire, using her speed to get Esme to the ground relatively quickly. We knew that Esme wasn't the fighter of the group, but it was still an impressive win for Leah. Jared battled Edward to a draw, but Edward's mind reading ability made it slightly unfair, as he predicted (well…knew) Jared's moves every time. If any of these newborns had that type of ability, we might be in trouble. Quil actually lost to the short pixie vampire, Alice I believe. She seemed to be too fast for his straightforward style of attack. As she pinned him with her forearm across his neck, he finally had to submit. He tried to use the excuse that she could see his attacks, but Edward quickly stated that the pack was immune to her ability. Unable to hide behind that excuse any longer, he just huffed and walked back to the pack with his head hanging. I nudged him with my snout and tried to encourage him. "Remember bud, the army will be in attack mode. They won't be content with just running and dodging and we all know that you're better at straight up fights." He seemed to lighten up with this, his mind filled with determination that he'd take care of business when it mattered. What can I say, I know what my friends need to hear, but I truly did feel confident that Quil would be fine in a real fight. The only ones who didn't fight were Seth, Collin, and Brady. Collin and Brady had been taking up most of the patrols, but accepted the burden without question. Seth was there, but only observed. He felt a little bit left out, having phased when Leah did, but accepted his limited role as one of the pups in the pack. We didn't question Sam's reason for not having everyone fight, as we all believed that it was better for the youngest to stay off the front lines. They just didn't have the experience yet.

We called it a night, and decided that we'd continue our sparring matches until we had an idea of when the real attack would be. Sam and Carlisle were the exceptions, as they were meeting to discuss what to do. Thus, we all alternated opponents, taking in the various types of fighting that vampires could possess. Even though they were all newborns, we knew that not all of them would be the same, just as each of our pack immediately had certain styles of doing things. Seth and Leah had relied on speed from Day 1. Quil and Paul were pretty straight forward in their actions, taking things on head first, not being built for long drawn out encounters. Jared was like me, focusing on strategy and stealth. We were great at evading and made strategic strikes, hitting our opponents when the opportunity arose. All of that thinking is probably why Jared and I couldn't do too well against Edward, as he knew better than to open himself to an attack from us. It was the blunt attacks that he couldn't handle nearly as well. Sam and Jake were pretty much just amazing all around, having a great combination of strength, speed, and strategy. There was no doubt that they were the leaders of our group and deserved the respect that they had within the pack.

After a long couple of days, Alice had her vision. She said that we would have 4 days before the army attacked. She still couldn't see who was manipulating everything, but we all sensed that it was the one they called Victoria. Sam and Carlisle had come up with the final plan and we sat as humans and listened as they began to explain. Only Seth remained as a wolf, keeping us in contact with the pups, just in case.

The plan was simple. The meadow that we had sparring at would be where the battle was to take place. Luring the army there with Bella's scent, the Cullens would be in the open on the far side of the field. The pack would wait for a signal from Carlisle and would follow Sam's lead, flanking from the tree line. The newborns wouldn't have much information about us – if any – and would be surprised by our emergence. Our scent, though strong, would only indicate that there were animals nearby. The day before the fight, a wolf would carry Bella into the nearby mountains to mask her scent before returning to the pack the next morning before the newborns arrived. Jacob quickly volunteered, and I couldn't help but feel grief. Even though he wasn't completely depressed all the time, we all knew that Bella still dominated Jake's mind. I wanted desperately to take up a portion of that love, but knew that it was never going to happen. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to spend what could possibly be my final night with my imprint. Edward would remain with her, just in case the trick didn't work. Seth would stay there with them, allowing for Edward to know what was happening on the battlefield. Seth would also be there to help protect Bella, but we all hoped that he wouldn't see any action. We'd at least know if anything was up though, as Edward would be able to sense anyone's approach and Alice would see any major decisions made.

Sam asked if the two pups were phased and with Seth's nod, he used Seth's mindlink to communicate with them. They were to guard the reservation tightly, rather than the wider patrols that we were used to. We intended to gather the council, our loved ones, and the imprints in a central location and station Brady with them. Collin would be guarding the eastern edge of town, acting as the first defense if anyone got past the battle. Sam asked if they understood and Seth nodded in confirmation. Edward stated that the pups vowed to defend the reservation with their lives, a fact that didn't surprise any of us. We all were doing this for those that we loved, as Bella wasn't the only one at risk with an army approaching our territory.

With the plan completed, we departed. We had decided that it would be best to rest up for the next couple days, as the continuous training had been exhausting. All of us knew that this could end badly, with the risk of loss on both sides. Although none of us said it, we all recognized that it was unlikely that we as a pack would come out unscathed, but we could only hope that we'd get through with only minor injuries. I know that I wasn't prepared for the thought of losing one of the pack, and I was damned sure going to do what I could to prevent it from happening.

After we got back from the debriefing, I ate dinner with mom. Since Sam was offering extra protection to our loved ones, I was going to make sure that mom took advantage of it. I decided that it was time to finally tell my mom what I was. I knew that she had found my bed empty at night on several occasions and I didn't want to die without explaining that she hadn't raised a delinquent. I had always been nervous of this conversation, afraid that she wouldn't be as accepting as the Quileute families that had grown up with the legends.

After we finished dinner, I asked to talk to her in the living room, telling her that I had something important to discuss with her.

"Are you familiar with the tribe's legends? About wolves battling cold ones?" I asked. She nodded, which at least made that part of the explanation easy. "Well, I hope you don't hate me or look at me like I'm crazy, but I need you to know that they're true. The reason I sneak off at night isn't to cause trouble or be a rebel. It's because I'm part of the fight against the vampires." I looked up, praying that she wouldn't laugh or call me a monster. Fortunately, I saw only compassion and understanding.

"Em, you're my son and I love you no matter what. I always wondered why you were sneaking out, but I hoped that your values were keeping you on track. Considering how seriously the elders and town take the legends, it doesn't surprise me that they're more than just folktales. The question is, why are you telling me now? " She asked. I was relieved to know that she wasn't going to freak out, but I knew she wasn't going to like my answer to her question.

"Well…there's something coming and we're gathering the council and the pack's loved ones. I need to ask you to go to the community center on Saturday morning. We're putting one of the pack there to make sure that you all are protected while we go out and fight against a major threat." Worry filled her eyes and I saw a tear run down her face.

"You're telling me that you might…might not come back aren't you?"

"It's an unfortunate possibility. I just want you to be safe. It's my duty to fight and protect you and everyone else on the reservation."

She nodded solemnly and I pulled her into a hug. "I hope that I come back in one piece, but if I don't, know that I love you" I whispered, fighting the tears that were threatening to come out.

The next few days were quiet. We patrolled lightly, but nothing to tire us out too much. We hung out together, but everyone was on edge. We tried to relax, but even with the decreased patrols, nobody could get over the impending threat. Emily cooked us a large steak dinner the night before Jake was going to head up into the mountains. We ate together, knowing that this could be our last time as a complete pack. Afterwards we went to our homes, spending the last night with our loved ones. We'd be setting up in the meadow the next night.

I spoke to my mom for a while before heading up to my room. I had decided that I was going to write out a letter to Jake & Quil in the event that I didn't come back. I hated that I was being so macabre about the ordeal, but I wanted them to know how much they meant to me, even if I never got to tell them in person. I sat there thinking of all the experiences that we had shared growing up and knew that I'd do whatever it took to protect them, as well as the rest of the pack.

I began to write…

_Hey guys, I guess if you're reading this then things didn't turn out too well for me. I can only hope that if this letter is read, it is by both of you. You two are my closest friends and I appreciate you more than you'll ever understand. You have been my brothers all my life, long before the pack became our destiny. I love all of you, but I want you to know how important you both were to me. From the first day we met, you guys did everything you could to make me feel like I belonged here. Without you, I don't know if I would've lasted as an outsider. I know I never expressed it, but I owe you both everything happy in my life. You helped me fit in at school and constantly tolerated hanging around me when you went to the beach, movies, and everywhere else. The late night talks we shared solidified our friendship and I knew that we would do whatever we could for each other. Quil, you kept what I felt was my darkest secret and were there for me when I feared that you would hate me forever for it. I guess if I'm gone, you shouldn't burden yourself with protecting it any longer. And Jake, I'm sorry that I ever kept anything from you. I cared about our friendship too much to ever risk it ending._

_Thus, if the worst has happened to me, I hope that you'll power through it and move on. I don't want you to dwell on it for too long, as you both deserve all the happiness you can get. Quil, don't worry about the hassles that the pack can give you about your imprint. I know that you'll love her more than anyone else can, and it won't be sick in any way. Stay your happy self and continue to put smiles on people's faces. _

_Jake, know that you'll find love someday. I know you've been through a lot of pain, but never let that stop you from looking for love. It'll be worth it if you're able to find it. Look after everyone and keep up with the strong leadership that you've always had. The pack needs you to be strong and I'd hate to see you falter. Never doubt yourself and continue to be as caring as you were with me and Quil._

_So, I leave you with this letter. Just know that without you guys, I wouldn't have even made it this far. Remember the good times and please watch over my mom. She'll have a hard time without me, but I know that she values you both as sons as well._

_I love you both,_

_Em_

I finished the letter and put it in a sealed envelope labeled "Jake & Quil," and stashed it in my favorite book of Quileute legends that Jake had given me for my birthday when we were kids. He had known that I didn't know the legends well and had read through so many of them with me to help me be aware on the tribe's beliefs. He always thought of me being part of the tribe, even if there was no proof at the time.

With that final task completed, I entered into a restless night of sleep, but I doubted that I got more than a few hours of rest. I got up early, exchanged a tearful farewell with my mom, and walked off to Sam's.

It was time to prepare for battle…

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><p>Hope you enjoyed. I'll try to have another one up in a couple days, but it is Superbowl weekend, so it may take an extra day or so. Sorry!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Got this written a little faster than I expected. It's a little shorter, but there was only so much that I could put without wanting to split the scene up. So, it's a bit of a cliffhanger. Leave a review if so inclined.

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><p>Responses:<p>

Hank's Lady: Glad that you enjoyed the scene. I enjoyed writing it a lot. And you'll see how cruel I decide to be soon ;)

petra ppsilvia: Glad that you enjoyed it. I decided that Em wouldn't want Jake to know about just how much he cared for him. That would be even worse for Jake if anything happened. The interaction between them won't come quite yet though.

oh2byoung: Yeah...the lick made me chuckle as I wrote it. And I hope you're happy, got another one up quickly and before gameday. Hope you enjoy this one.

TurnItUp03: Yeah...I've come to the conclusion that I give him a lot of angst. Not sure how long before that changes though.

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><p>I got to Sam's and everyone was there. Sam was holding Emily close, and gave her a final kiss before we walked outside. We said farewell to the pups, phased, and took off through the forest. When we got to the clearing, we saw that the Cullens were already there with Bella. We phased back, starting the final preparations to make sure that everything was ready for the next day. As Sam was going to chat with Carlisle, I pulled Jake &amp; Quil aside.<p>

"I just wanted you to know, that if I don't happen to make it, I left something for you two in the old book of legends in my room."

"Don't think like that Em, we're going to be fine!" Jake said. Although he was trying to put up a strong front, we all knew that the next day could be our last together. I pulled each of them into a hug, savoring the scent of my imprint in my arms. Sam called for Jake and I knew that it was time for him to take Bella to the mountains. As he left, I felt the pull in my heart, but knew that he was just doing his job. I still didn't like being this far away from him, especially because he'd be with the girl he loved and a mindreading leech. God forbid that Jake think something to piss him off and not be able to defend himself. I shuddered at the thought.

With Jake gone, we assessed the terrain. We decided that we'd split the pack into two groups. Sam, Jake, Paul, and Quil would attack first, while those of us that were better at sneaking around – Jared, Leah, and I) waited to attack from behind a few moments later. We found a good place to launch the ambush from and pretty much had everything set up by mid-afternoon. Esme had brought us a mountain of food, knowing that we'd need it to be at our best. The Cullens had all hunted the night before. Night fell and we decided that we'd try to rest as much as possible. The pack took off toward the trees. I have to admit, not needing sleep would be an awesome perk to have. We each sat, leaning back against the trees. We started talking about the good times, everything that the pack had gone through, and even tried to joke about how we were taking this too seriously. We were really just trying to cover our nerves, but eventually a silence fell upon us. We sat in thought of what the next day would bring, hoping that we'd all be together afterward. As the sun rose, we phased, knowing that battle was less than an hour away. Jake trotted up, his russet fir waving in the breeze as he crossed into the forest. I masked my thoughts well, keeping him from noticing that I was completely caught up in his beauty.

The time was upon us. Seth was stationed with Bella & Edward, Collin holding the boundary of the town, and Brady sat as a giant wolf with all of our loved ones. The 3 of us speedsters were separate from everyone else, and I wanted nothing more than to be beside Jake as we waited for the signal. All too soon, we felt the newborns arrive, heading straight for Carlisle. Sam's group went, barreling through the army from the side. A few moments later, he called for us and we sprinted into action, catching several off guard as we launched at them. I guess we were about to find out if all of the training was worth it.

I jumped onto the first vampire I saw. He never noticed me coming from the side and went down easily. I bit into his marble flesh, ripping his throat out. With the first kill completed, I naturally let the flow of battle take over, launching at whatever unsuspecting vampire I found. I could see that everyone else was having similar luck early on. We tore through the newborns, using the advice that Jasper had given us. Leah, Jared, and I went after the smaller, faster ones, while the others tried to target the brutes. We all had been bruised and cut, but the injuries were remarkably small considering the toll that we were taking on the dwindling vampire forces. Things were going pretty well, but then the creatures seemed to figure out how to organize themselves. They seemed to understand that charging in chaos wasn't the way to attack and began to group up against us. The sudden change seemed odd, as we expected them to be blinded by rage and hunger.

That's when I saw the one who seemed to be more calm than the others. She had a strong protection detail around her and seemed to be barking out orders to everyone. It wasn't the red head, but it didn't take long to realize that she had one of the special powers that made the Cullens so strong. She had a calming effect on her troops, making them behave more controlled than before. We also began to felt a strange sense of self-doubt seep into our minds. She seemed to have the ability to manipulate emotions on the battlefield, while commanding it with unbelievable comprehension. It actually reminded me of what Jasper could do, but on a whole new level.

We were still tearing through them, but we were taking more damage than at the beginning. I felt as each of my brothers took more hits, more cuts, and watched as we began to wear down. Paul and Quil seemed to be taking it the hardest, as we all knew that their viciousness and direct attack style drained them as time went on. Fortunately they were also running out of foot soldiers. I tried to watch for an opening and finally figured out how to get at her. I just needed a little help. I called out for Quil and Jake to make their way to me. They did quickly before I told them what to do. I could only hope that this panned out. I hated sending my best friends directly into an assault, but we had to take her out of the battle.

I couldn't go against her guards and get to her, so I needed our more powerful fighters to draw them from around her. Jake & Quil took off quickly, directly at the organizer. She sent most of her protection to defend against their onslaught, while Jared and I swung around behind her. Our flanking pattern worked, and we launched at her from opposite sides, Jared latching onto her body while I took off her head. As soon as she was gone, the feelings of unparalleled anxiety and unease that had been weighing us down drifted away. "Good job, Em" I heard from various sources and I was pretty content with my plan's success. Sam may have been an excellent Alpha, but strategy was one thing that I felt like I could trump anyone at.

With her gone, the battle was no longer an issue. We were all tired, but we ripped through the last of the group. We also got word from Seth that he had taken down Victoria's replacement mate, Riley, and that Edward had taken care of Victoria herself. They were coming down and would be in the clearing in a few minutes, as the battle drew to a close. It also seemed that Collin and Brady hadn't seen any action. Our loved ones were safe, and a feeling of joy and pride began to wash over us as the Cullens set all of the pieces around the field on fire.

It was only then that I saw the lone vampire snaking his way toward Jake. He had no scent and was incredibly stealthy, and I guess that he had some type of stealth ability. It was close, but I was able to get between him and Jake when he launched. He snarled at me for taking away his easy target, but I couldn't let him hurt my imprint. He had gotten around my back, placing a bone shattering kick onto one of my back legs. He tightly grasped me around my waste as he squeezed, and I began to feel the ribs breaking.

I thought I saw an opportunity to get his head off when he brought it close to my body, but as I felt the teeth sink into my bicep, I knew that it was over. It was only then that one of my brothers was able to get to the final leech, ribbing his head off of his shoulders. I fell in a heap and phased back to human, breaking my weakened arm in the process. I felt the burn of the venom spreading and my vision began to flicker. I heard people calling my name, but I was too weak to respond in any way. The last thing I saw was Jake running toward me, and I felt lighter already. Even if I died, I had done it to protect my imprint. The fact that he was still safe put my wolf and I at peace as we slipped into the darkness…

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><p>The End. Oh wait...maybe not the end. Would I be a horrible person if it was? Let me know how you feel on the subject hehe.<p>

Also, the thought for the controlling vampire's power came from Star Wars. "Battle Meditation" was an awesome power of one of the Jedi in KOTOR. Yeah...I'm that much of a nerd, but whatever.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I may have been a little cruel in where I ended the last chapter, but I think it was necessary for story flow. This chapter is written in a different POV, as Embry was left in pretty bad shape last chapter. Hope you enjoy, and remember to review if you feel so inclined.

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed, I still own nothing.

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><p>Reviews:<p>

oh2byoung: Don't worry Matt, I'm not that bad. Don't injure yourself even more hunting me down ;)

Hank's Lady: I could never end a story quite like that. This chapter isn't really mean to him, other than the fact that he's beaten up already, so I guess you win this round haha.

petra ppsilvia: Honestly, never read past New Moon, so I have no idea how the book described the battle. Might read it someday though. Glad you liked it, and we'll be able to see how Embry's body is doing throughout this chapter.

mangagranatcat: Glad that you found the story to be readable. I'm just a rookie, but I hope that my writing style isn't too bad. I hope you continue to enjoy it, and if you really enjoy Jake/Embry stories, Hank's Lady is also writing a really good one.

TurnItUp03: Yeah, I decided to change it up from the original. I figured that Embry has already taken care of Jake a bit. Now it's time to see if Jake is willing to do the same.

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><p>Jake's POV<p>

Embry was down. Sam had been the quickest to react, wrenching the leech off of him. I got there as fast as I could, seeing Embry collapsed on the ground in human form. He looked horrible. I knew that we had all healed from various breaks and cuts in the past, but the amount of damage done in those few seconds was astounding. The worst part was the bite. We were naturally designed to go after vampires, but their venom was just as fatal to us as it was to a human.

Embry started convulsing on the ground. "Shit!" I screamed. "Carlisle, please tell me you can do something!"

Carlisle ran over and looked at the wound. "We've gotta take care of the bite here. If we transport him anywhere, it'll be too late." He bent down over Embry before looking up at Sam. "I'll need your permission before I do it." I jerked my head to my alpha, begging him to allow for Carlisle to attempt to remove the venom. Sam quickly nodded, and Carlisle turned back to the task at hand.

I watched in horror as I saw Carlisle bight into the same wounds that the shifty vampire had left. This was all wrong. Em shouldn't be writhing in pain. If I had been paying attention, I could have killed it and none of this would have happened. Instead, I had been too preoccupied, perfectly content that we had helped get Bella through this. Em had thrown his body between me and the launching vamp, and was now paying the price for it. I felt the tears beginning to fall down my face, knowing that it was my fault that my best friend was suffering.

Carlisle continued his work for a couple of minutes. I knew that this couldn't be a good time for him. Although he had the most control, it was still torturous for a vampire to take in blood and stop. It didn't help that our blood was so much hotter and I could see the disgust in his eyes as he took in the burning liquid. After a bit, however, he pulled away and I noticed that Em had stopped convulsing. If not for the faint heartbeat, I would have been sure that he was dead.

"The venom spread extremely quickly. I had to take a lot of blood, and he's going to need more before his body has any chance of healing. However, we need to get him to a better place than this field before we can even think about things. Take him to his house while I run and get some equipment from home. If it's ok with you, Sam, I'll be on the reservation in a few minutes."

Sam nodded again, and went to pick up his half-brother. I stopped him, and he looked at me with understanding eyes. He could feel the guilt that was rolling off of me. I _needed_ to be the one to carry him home. It was a quick trek, but we laid him down on his counter. Carlisle was in a moment later.

"Does anyone know what kind of blood he has? I need to take some from one of you to aid in replenishing his supply. Normal human blood won't work, and it's not healthy to mix types, even in your kind."

No one knew, so I ran over to grab the phone. I called his mother's cell and she picked up immediately. "What type of blood does Em have?" I asked, quickly getting to the point. She picked up on my urgency and responded "O-" without hesitation. "Embry got hit, but we're working on him now. Can't talk, but I'll update when I can." I finished, hanging up quickly.

I returned to Carlisle and reported what I had heard, but he didn't seem too enthused. "O- is the universal giver. Unfortunately, it can only receive blood from another person with the exact same type, which is one of the rarer kinds" Carlisle concluded.

I couldn't help but think that Embry's blood type matched him perfectly. He was always giving to others, but it was hard for anyone to help him. He didn't let many people in and was truly rare, willing to deal with everyone else's problems while not burdening them with his. I just wished that it didn't make him so difficult to save him.

"I guess this is where I can help" I heard, and glanced up to see Sam walking in through the door. "Not that there was ever much of a question if we were brothers before, but I guess my O- blood probably helps confirm it."

I sighed in relief as Carlisle began by hooking a needle between the two and watched as the blood began to transfer. Not exactly the most sterile situation to be performing a transfusion, but we couldn't be picky right now. We could only hope that Embry's immune system would accept the blood correctly.

Carlisle transferred something like 3 or 4 pints before disconnecting the needle. Sam looked a little weary, having just lost about as much blood as a person can normally handle. Leah led his weakened figure into the living room and promised that she'd take care of him.

Then Carlisle got back to work. He began to check Embry's vitals, trying to figure out the extent of the internal damage. He concluded that several ribs had broken and that one had punctured his lung. Fortunately his body had been strong enough to begin healing that immediately, but it wasn't completely better yet. The ribs would have to fuse themselves, just like in a human. He looked at his leg and arm, neither of which had begun to heal. Carlisle called me over, asking me to hold him down in case the pain jolted him awake. I gently tried to pin him as the doctor reset the fracture in Embry's arm. The scream of pain jolted me, and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. Then Carlisle set to work on the leg, which had been shattered. He tried to set the bones as best as possible, but the constant screams and movement from Embry were killing me on the inside. I held him tightly until he finally passed back out from the pain.

Carlisle checked over a few other things before assessing that it would be up to Embry's strength if he was able to pull through. The damage was severe, and in his weakened state, it was still possible for him to lose the battle. I prayed that my best friend would power through it. I didn't know if I could live with myself if he didn't.

We covered Embry up with a light blanket, but left him on the counter for now. We couldn't risk moving him in his current condition. He was given some kind of pain medication and other fluids in an IV that Carlisle had gotten. Afterward, the doctor left, promising to be back shortly with more pain killers and to call if anything happened. Now all we could do is wait, and I wasn't going to leave his side for anything more than the essentials.

As I sat there, watching over the broken boy, I noticed Quil had appeared at my side. He had been pacing wildly while we were working on his best friend, and seemed slightly calmer now that the shouts of pain had died down. He had also called Ms. Call back, letting her know that Em was resting and still in for a fight, but that all we could do was wait. As he sat there just staring at Embry, I noticed he had something in his hand.

"What's that?" I inquired.

"A letter. I'm guessing that's what Embry was talking about before the fight. Do you want to read it?" He asked. I nodded.

We opened it up and began to read. Tears filled my eyes as we read what had been Embry's farewell in the event that he had not returned from the fight. I had always valued our friendship, but I guess it had never registered with me how much more it meant to Em. He was my best friend, my brother, and I had always felt better around him, but he had always gotten so much more out of it. Quil & I both were a little taken back by how much we truly meant to him, thinking back about all the memories that we had shared. Quil & I had always been good at meeting people, but Embry had always needed to be forced to be social. As I sat there, I truly wished that it was me in pain right now. Embry was a pure soul. He didn't deserve to ever suffer.

There was one thing nagging at me though. What had he kept from me out of fear that I'd want to end our friendship? I had to know, and turned to Quil.

"What do you know that I don't?" I asked softly.

"Em always hid the fact that he was gay. Embry was afraid of how you'd react, but I never understood why he felt it mattered so much. He thought that if you knew that you'd not want him around anymore." Quil responded.

I couldn't believe it. Something as unimportant as his sexuality had been plaguing him and making him afraid to be himself? It hurt that he felt that I'd react negatively, but I could understand why he did it. He had always viewed himself as an outsider, just waiting to be shown the door. Quil & I had always tried to break that feeling, but it still lingered. Hopefully if…no, when he recovered, I'd be able to show him that we would be there for him no matter what.

"How'd you find out?" I asked, curious as to why he felt that he could go to Quil instead of me.

"I only figured it out back when we went to Seattle. That first night when you were sick, I walked in and saw him kiss you on the forehead as he was caring for you – oh Shit!" he said suddenly.

He realized at the same time as I did that he had let slip that fact that Embry liked _me_. That explained why he had never told me – or anyone it seemed – about his secret. It didn't bother me though. I had always viewed him as a brother, but I'm straight. At least, I think I am. Other than Bella, I hadn't really been interested in anyone. It didn't matter right now though.

I shook my head to clear out the thoughts, focusing instead on trying to make Em as comfortable as possible while he recovered. He was running a fever (even for us) and I grabbed some ice to try and help cool him down. It seemed to help and over time, his breathing seemed to steady and his face smoothed out. He almost looked calm and even _peaceful_, if such a thing were possible in his condition.

I heard the door open as Ms. Call came into the house. She ran to Embry's side and just took in the sight of him. She ran her hands through his hair as the tears began to fall. I pulled her into my arms, trying to comfort her as much as I could. I felt like I owed it to Embry to ease his mom's worries, and reminded her how strong her son was. After a few minutes, she pulled herself together and thanked me.

"Have you two eaten anything?" she asked.

"No ma'am" we responded simultaneously as our stomachs grumbled to confirm it.

"I'll order some food for us then. I've seen you guys eat enough times to know how much you'll need" she joked, trying to lighten the mood. She ordered take out and it was there relatively quickly. We all ate in the kitchen while watching Embry's resting body.

As night fell, Quil finally said that he needed to leave. He still hadn't seen his family, and although they knew he was safe, they still wanted to see him. Seth had talked to my dad, who was aware that I was safe but didn't plan to leave Embry's side. I sat there in the chair, holding the hand on Embry's uninjured arm. I fell asleep at some point, but was startled when I felt movement. I looked up to see Embry beginning to stir. He began to whimper in pain and I quickly remembered to inject some more of what looked to be morphine into his IV. He calmed down, but looked at me drowsily.

"Jake? Are you really here?" He asked weakly.

"Yeah, I'm here Em. Now, get some rest. You need it to help you heal, but I'll be here when you wake up again."

He nodded, and allowed himself to drift back off. I felt a lot better, as it seemed like he was going to make it. I relaxed at last, laying my head on his shoulder, away from his injuries before falling into a much more peaceful sleep…

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><p>No cliffhanger this time. Hope the chapter didn't disappoint!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Little bit of a slower chapter to give the poor kid some time to recover. Action will pick back up with the next one though. Hope you enjoy! Also, we're back to Embry's POV again. Probably gonna remain that way for a while...

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Hank's Lady: For now, I'm going to be nice. Probably not the last of the heartbreak though, even if Jake knows...

TurnItUp03: Won't see her for a little while, but don't be surprised if she comes up later in the story.

oh2byoung: Gotta give poor Em a break every once in a while. Things won't be quite so bad for him for now, but I expect that turmoil can't be too far away hehe

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><p>Embry's POV<p>

I woke up the next day with sharp pains all across my body. I couldn't help but groan as I tried to focus on where the pain was coming from. The answer: everywhere. I felt something heavy on my right arm, but it was one of the few areas that wasn't killing me. I looked down to see Jake's head rested on me, snoring lightly as he slept. He was safe. I forgot about my pain as I looked over him, knowing that I'd do it again if it meant protecting him.

After a few minutes, he lifted his head and looked at me. There was a mixture of emotions in his eyes. I could see sorrow, relief, and…pain? Had he gotten hurt because I wasn't able to defend him? I suddenly began to think that I had completely let my imprint down when I felt him grasp my hand.

"Em, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault that you got hurt. If I had been paying attention, you wouldn't be here. Hell, if nothing else, it should be me that's suffering right now, not you!" He said, lowering his head as the tears began threatening to fall. He was upset that I was hurt protecting him. I squeezed his hand, and he looked back up at me.

"Jake, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The thought of you being injured is something that I can't handle, so don't even think that it'd be better if it were you. Seeing any of the pack, especially you and Quil hurt would be way worse than it being me." I whispered.

"You almost died because of me! If Carlisle hadn't been able to purify your blood you wouldn't be –" he choked on a sob, not being able to finish the sentence. "And Jake, that'd have been fine. I was at peace, knowing that you all were ok. You beating yourself up over it only makes me feel worse." I replied. He wiped away his tears before laying his head on my shoulder. "You really need to think about yourself sometimes Em. You don't deserve to take on pain. You're too good of a person for that" He finished, raising his head back up. I smiled as much as I could, the pain beginning to take over my thoughts. Jake must have noticed the change, and I watched has he grabbed a needle and injected it into the IV. I slowly felt relief creeping through my body, and sleep threatened to take over once again. I didn't fight it this time, holding onto Jake's hand as I drifted away.

I woke up a few hours later. Jake was gone, but my mother was a few feet away. She saw my eyes open and ran over to my side. "Oh baby, you had me worried!" She cried. "Jake called and told me you were hit, but I didn't know how bad it was. When Quil called, we weren't sure how your body was going to recover!" The tears were streaming freely down her face as she lay her forehead against mine. "I'm ok mom. Really, really sore, but I'll be ok. Can you call Carlisle though? I'd really like to get a dose of something that doesn't knock me out immediately." I said, stroking her hair, with my one good arm.

Carlisle came over within the half hour. He checked to make sure that my internals were healing and was quite happy with the progress. My ribs were still mending and my two limbs were in a lot of pain, but it seemed like the worst was over. He wrapped my ribs and made sure that my arm and leg were secured correctly. Finally, he switched out my morphine with something weaker. "You'll still feel pretty lightheaded from it, but you should be able to stay awake now." He said as he packed his gear. "Thank you Carlisle. I owe you everything." I said, letting him know that I truly appreciated what he had done. "Nonsense, Embry. Your pack helped our coven and protected Bella. Helping you was the least I could do to show my appreciation. Now, if there's anything you need, give me a call and I'll be over immediately. Sam has already given me permission to travel freely when it comes to caring for you. Also, if you want to move up to your bedroom, it should be fine. I suggest your packmates doing it though. You probably don't want my scent all over your room." He finished, heading towards the door. I nodded and he left the house, leaving my mom and I to chat about things.

A little bit later Jake and Quil came in. With my wounds braced, I asked them if they'd be willing to move me back up to my bed. They nodded and gingerly carried me up to my room, laying me gently on it. I noticed then that the Quileute book was sitting open on my desk. "Guess you guys really thought I wasn't going to make it" I said, nodding towards the desk. They realized what I was talking about and blushed slightly.

"Yeah, we read it when you were resting and…well, I made Quil tell me what your secret was" Jake said quietly.

Shit. He knew that I was gay and…well, I'm not sure how much Quil told him.

"I don't care that you're gay Em. I understand why you would keep it from us. I know that we're from a small community, but I want you to know that I accept you for whoever you are." Jake said with nothing but truth in his voice. From what I could tell, that was all he knew, and I was fine with that.

"Thanks Jake. That really means a lot to me." I smiled. "What happened after I went down anyway?"

They told me about how that had been the last vampire. Sam had ripped his head off, finally ending the threat. Bella was safe, a fact that made Jake beam. I couldn't help but inwardly sigh at his unrequited love, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. They told me how Jake had carried me back and what all Carlisle had done to keep me alive. I knew that I'd always be in debt to the doctor, whether he felt the same or not.

Jake and Quil stayed through dinner, and mom made a delicious meal. Grilled chicken and potatoes were light enough for my stomach to accept, and it was really great. Afterward I talked to my best friends for another couple hours before my mom ushered them out, demanding that I went to sleep. I didn't try to challenge her and tried to relax, but the thought of Jake being there for me made my heart jump. I could only hope that someday the imprint would start to work its magic on him, and that he'd get over Bella. I know it was selfish, but I really wanted to be the one to make Jake happy.

For the next few days, various members of the pack were there. Jake & Quil spent most days in my room with me, and were joined by everyone at some point in time. They all wished me well and told me how worried they had been. Leah even threatened to kill me if I ever worried her like that again, and I couldn't help but laugh at the mixed signals from that statement. After about a week, I was close to being back to normal. My leg and arm had healed up quite well, and though my chest was still tender, I wasn't having any side effects from the ribs that had broken. Carlisle came by one last time to verify that everything was in order, stating that he thought that I was in great shape. He advised me not to phase for another few days, just to give my body time to finish heeling, and I told him that I'd take it easy.

When the pack found out that I had been pretty much cleared, they demanded that we celebrate. They had been putting off anything until I had made a recovery, refusing to celebrate without me. I really couldn't ask for a better group of brothers. I walked over to Emily & Sam's and knocked on the door.

"You're OK!" She screamed, throwing her arms around me. I winced at the pain in my chest and she withdrew immediately. "Oh my God, Embry, I'm so sorry! How could I not even think before doing that! She chastised herself. "It's all right Emily. I'm just a little sore. No harm done" I said, trying to cheer her up.

I walked into the house and sat down in front of the TV after asking if she needed help with anything. She refused to allow me to help, which made me feel useless, but she insisted that I take it easy. Sam sat down next to me, giving me a pat on the shoulder. "You really did give us a scare kid. Really good to see you back up and at it so quickly" He said, smiling. "Thanks Sam. I really appreciate you giving up your blood to save me. I owe you." I said sincerely. "You don't owe me anything Embry. We're brothers, both in the pack sense and in blood. I care about you too much to let anything happen to you if I can do something about it. Just wish I could've gotten that leech before he sunk his teeth into you." He trailed off at the end. I pulled him into a hug and we sat there making fun of some documentary about wolves.

It wasn't long before the pack arrived, each pulling me into a light embrace. Emily called out that dinner was ready and we walked into the dining room to see a beautiful feast in front of us. Barbecue, Ribs, and burgers with an array of sides including mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and salad, as well as several pies for dessert. It was the greatest looking meal I had ever seen and we all began to dig in. It was all delicious, and there was nobody hungry after the last piece of food had been snatched off of the table.

We all hung out at the fire pit in Sam's backyard afterward. Sam had pulled out a cooler of beer, and we all began to crack them open. Sam even let the pups have a few and I watched Seth grab one whenever Leah wasn't watching. We sat there, chatting and telling jokes, and just relaxing in general. Summer was coming to an end, and most of us were about to have to start back at school. Sam, Jared, Paul, and Leah had all graduated. Jake, Quil, and I would finally be seniors, Seth was now a sophomore, and Collin & Brady were about to be freshmen. We were looking forward to trying to have as normal of a year as we could, but we knew that there were still obligations to the tribe. None of that mattered for now though, as we were all safe and enjoying ourselves. Jake was beside me, and as we continued to drink, we were as relaxed as we had been since this whole army thing began. He rested his head on my shoulder, and whispered "I'm so glad that you're OK, Em. Wouldn't be the same without you, man." I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him closer. "I'm not going anywhere, you can be sure of it" I stated. As long as I had my way, I would hold true to that promise. I was content with life, even if this was close as I was ever going to be with my imprint.

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><p>I recognize that this might be considered a filler, but I felt like there needed to be a small break before the next action sequence. Wolves need to catch their breaths at some point afterall. Review if you feel like it. Definitely makes a first time author know whether or not they should bother continuing haha.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Sorry about having a filler in last chapter. Just felt like I needed to space the action out a little bit. This one's got more activity. Hope you enjoy it, and as always, I hope that you'll review if you feel inclined.

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Hank's Lady: Glad you enjoyed it. Decided to be nice, even if it's not in the form of loving. And I like making my main characters support each other. Not that everyone's quite so cooperative, as you'll soon see ;)

TurnItUp03: Thanks for the support. I know fillers aren't the greatest, but I needed one. This one is a little bit more substantial.

oh2byoung: The adventures will begin again. This chapter has some action in it, as well as some (hopefully) interesting developments.

chacra: Won't say how things are going to play out, but there will be a change over the next couple of chapters. Hope that you continue to enjoy it!

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><p>Things quieted down for the next couple of months. We started school again, and I shared several classes with Quil and Jake. Nothing really changed between us, but the cloud of pain in Jake's eyes never dissipated. He was still so hung up on Bella, and I didn't think that it would change. My only hope was that once she got turned, he'd finally realize that there was no hope. That's right, I had sunk to the new low of looking forward to when someone became a vampire. I was pathetic. For now, however, all I could do is be there to try and cheer him up when he really needed it.<p>

The pups took full advantage of knowing us. We naturally spent time around Seth, who was basically Jake's little brother, but Collin & Brady normally joined us at lunch as well. We all knew that they were using the fact that they hung out with us as a springboard for their social life, but who were we to crush their happiness? Knowing seniors while being a freshman did wonders for their reputations around the school, and they normally were surrounded by "friends" wanting to leech just a little bit of their popularity. If that's what they wanted out of high school, then they deserved it. They had earned it through their _extracurriculars,_ having done quite well throughout the summer.

Things in the pack were pretty calm too. Sure, we had the occasional rogue vampire to kill, but there didn't seem to be anything major happening. Nobody new had phased since Collin & Brady, so it seemed like things were calming down. Paul, Jared, and Sam worked during the day while Leah was taking classes at the community college. The rest of us were in school during the week, so there wasn't much that we could do about the need for daytime patrols. We tried to keep a patrol for most hours, but with things so quiet, we weren't as worried about holes in the schedule.

Things changed in early October. I caught scent of something strange. It was strong, but not the sickeningly sweet smell of a leech. I couldn't track it down to anything, and figured that I'd let it be. It was a couple of days later when Sam got hit. He was attacked by a small coven, maybe 4 vampires, and although he killed them all with Jared's help, he was still banged up. They had broken his arm and a couple of ribs, but he'd be fine. He was going to have to take a few days off, but we'd be able to cover for him under normal circumstances. Things were far from normal though. Later that day, we finally tracked down the strange scent. I stumbled upon a makeshift camp, and in it stood two men that were built just like us. Shifters. We had never had any other shifters on our land, so it made sense that we didn't recognize the scent.

They seemed to be alert to my presence, so I let Quil know where I was before phasing to see what was going on. I pulled on my shorts and walked out of the brush, their eyes following me as I approached.

"What brings you two out here? The woods are dangerous to just be camping out here like this." I said, playing ignorant for the time being.

"Cut the crap" the older one stated, stepping in front of smaller one. "You know that we have no trouble protecting ourselves out here." He snarled.

"Fine then, since we're both shifters, why are you on our land? This is Quileute pack territory, and we're not used to visitors." I replied, trying to remain civil. I heard Quil approaching from about a hundred feet away, and I felt confident that we would be alright if things took a turn for the worst. This guy seemed extremely hostile, and I couldn't help but be worried.

"I'll answer only to your Alpha. I demand that you take me to see him so that we can discuss things." He insisted.

This worked out for me. I knew that Sam would want to see what these intruders were doing here, so I simply nodded and walked off to phase. They followed me to Sam's house, and I alerted the pack with a summoning howl. Quil and I were slowly joined by the rest of the pack as we approached Sam's, and our Alpha stood on the porch, arm and chest wrapped tightly. We phased back and escorted our "guests" to him.

"What are you doing on our land? You carry the scent of an Alpha, but I only sense one other shifter. An Alpha rarely travels without their pack." He interrogated.

"Jumping straight to business, I see" the outsider joked. "I am here to challenge your role as Alpha" He said with authority. We all gasped.

"What gives you the right to think – " Sam began.

"Under shifter law, an Alpha has the ability to challenge another one for their pack's loyalty if they feel that they're handling the responsibility poorly. You have taken on other duties, leaving your reservation open for attack throughout large periods of the day. You are not fit to be the Alpha of this pack." He stated simply. Who did this guy think he was?

"I recognize your claim, and accept your challenge, if everything is in order. You must know that an Alpha has to risk his own pack for such a challenge. If you are not willing to do so, your request isn't applicable." Sam challenged. I never knew how much the Alpha position entailed other than running the pack. More importantly, was he really going to try to fight in this condition?

"Valid point. To answer your question, I am a rogue, and my pack consists of my brother. I had been the first of my pack to phase, but the true Alpha challenged me for the position and won. I intend to win your pack and go to war with them. They seem quite capable of a good fight from what we've surveyed for the past few days. And it looks like my little setup with that coven has you ripe for the picking. I have little doubt that I'll have your pack fighting for me after this - whether they like it or not - and you knowing what's in for them after you fail makes it even more amusing." He concluded with a smirk.

"Sam…you can't do this! We're not bargaining chips! Not to mention, he set you up to be injured first! You need to heal before you fight anyone!" I shouted. He hung his head sadly. "I don't have a choice. The laws were put in to make sure that Alphas were doing everything for their tribe. Even though his reason for wanting the pack is wrong, his opposition to my being Alpha is valid, so I have to accept, and the challenge is immediate."

He had to be kidding. There was no way that Sam could fight right now. We were going to lose our leader and have to follow this monster to war. Shit!

"Good, glad that you understand the stakes. One of us will be Alpha, and the other one will be…well, dead." He said nonchalantly. "I expect all of you to be loyal, and be ready to leave immediately."

"Not so fast" a powerful voice spoke from behind Sam. I turned my eyes to see Jake, burning with an intensity that I hadn't seen before. "Your challenge to the pack is immediate, but it will not be Sam that you'll face" my imprint said, anger burning through his words.

"What are you talking about? I challenged the Alpha, not some lackey." He sneered.

"I am the true Alpha of this pack. And today, I accept my position and take over the pack, relieving Sam of his responsibilities." He finished.

Sam looked at Jake with shock in his eyes as he recognized what Jake had just done. That's when it hit me. Jake was taking up the mantle from Sam, not out of questioning his leadership and wanting to usurp our leader, but to protect him and the pack. We all knew that Sam wouldn't be able to defeat this rogue in his current state, and Jake wasn't going to allow him to try. There was a chance that we weren't going to be this creature's pawns!

That was the positive of the situation, but the negative struck me as well. We knew nothing about how strong this guy was. We didn't know how he fought or what tricks he might have up his sleeve. And the most important part was: my Jake was now in a fight to the death with him. I couldn't live if something happened, but I was bound by the laws of the Alphas to not interfere. I could only watch and hope.

The rogue looked angry, but nodded his understanding of the situation. "Shall we then? One on one, to the death. There is no other way for this to end." Jake nodded and stepped off the porch.

The rogue phased in the yard. Discretion wasn't a factor, this was a fight to the death. He was a silver wolf with dark tips. Larger than most of us, but not by much. Jake definitely would have a power advantage. Jake phased into his beautiful russet wolf and the fight began. The two charged at each other, narrowly avoiding each other's teeth. They went at it again, but I saw the agility that the other wolf possessed. He quickly evaded Jake's attack and proceeded to drag his paw through the dirt, slinging it into Jake's eye. Should have expected that he'd be a dirty fighter. While Jake couldn't see, the wolf latched onto his hind leg, sinking his teeth in quickly, trying to incapacitate our new Alpha. My heart cried out as Jake howled, quickly wrenching his leg out from the jaw of the silver wolf and shaking the dirt out of his eyes. He wasn't too wounded, and when the rogue charged again, Jake caught him with his head, sending him spiraling into a nearby tree. The sound of cracking ribs resonated throughout the clearing, but the wolf stood back up and returned to the offensive.

Jake was able to defend against most of the attacks, but got several slashes across his body. It hit me that Jake was inexperienced at how to fight another wolf. Obviously we had sparred at times and even had the occasional tussle, but we didn't intend to fight each other in any real capacity. This rogue had been in at least one other fight with an Alpha, and even if he had lost, he still knew how other wolves fought.

Finally, something within Jake snapped and he decided to go on the offensive. He landed several cuts before finally slamming the other wolf into the ground. The rogue attempted to latch onto Jake's shoulder, but with a final maneuver, Jake sunk his teeth into his opponent's neck. As the coppery fluid flowed into his mouth, he stepped away and the rogue phased back. His brother ran to him, crying over the lifeless body. Jake phased back, looking extremely upset. He got congratulations from a few people, but he didn't seem happy. I pulled him into the house and wrapped my arms around him as I felt the tears fall onto my shoulder.

"I killed another person Em!" He balled. "I took a life. It's not like killing a vampire. They're already dead. This person had blood, a heartbeat, a soul! What have I done!" He cried out.

I pulled him tighter and started consoling him. "You did exactly what you needed to Jake. You saved Sam's life. Hell, you probably saved all of our lives. You prevented war with another pack and defended your homeland. I know it's not the normal threat that we face, but you did what an Alpha should: protect the pack and everyone else."

He looked up at me, gaining control of his emotions. "You really are the smartest among us." He said, pulling me against him again. "Thanks Em. It still really hurts to think about what I did, but you really make me feel a lot better about it. I really hate that I had to do it, but I couldn't let anything happen to any of you." He pulled away and smiled, and we walked back outside.

"What do we do with the pup?" Sam asked, looking at Jake.

"I say we do exactly what Jake did to his brother." Paul grunted.

"I'm not like him!" the boy cried out. "I followed him because he was my brother, but I never wanted him to go this far. He was so full of vengeance after losing his power that he couldn't think of anything but going after them. As much as I loved him, I'm glad that he didn't drag you guys into a war that you didn't deserve." He finished. The frightened boy scanned the faces of the pack, hoping to find some sign of understanding. That's when I saw his eyes lock on to something and I followed his vision. He and Seth were staring into each other's eyes, and I could read what was happening. Looks like we have ourselves another imprint in the pack. Doesn't look like anyone else noticed what was going on, and some still seemed interested in at least getting rid of the kid.

Paul took a step toward him, but Seth and I got in the way. "What are you doing?" our resident hothead demanded. Seth turned away and walked over to the kid, kneeling by him and trying to comfort him. "If you guys haven't noticed, Seth has become attached to him. You can't hurt another's imprint, and you can't banish him without losing Seth too." I stated firmly. I was happy for Seth, hoping that he'd be happier about who he was now that he had his imprint. If, of course, Jake acted like I expected he would.

"That's impossible. Imprints are for finding a mate to pass on the wolf genes with. It's not for a couple of fags to hook up. That's just unnatural. Almost as bad as being a damned leech" Paul snarled.

I felt the tears well up in my eyes. The words hurt, even if it wasn't anything that I hadn't imagined hearing directed at me if they ever found out. Before I could say anything, Jake stepped forward and laid Paul out. "Get out of here, and don't ever talk about anyone in the pack like that again" Jake ordered. Paul scampered away, and I felt Jake walk over to console me. "It's alright Em. He's just an idiot. There's nothing wrong with who you choose to love." He finished. I nodded, finally turning to the new wolf with Jake.

"What's your name?" Jake asked him.

"J-J-Jackson" the frightened kid sputtered. Seth tried to shield him from his idol, his eyes pleading that Jake wasn't going to go berserk.

"Well Jackson, do you have any interest in joining our pack? I have no intention of harming you, especially since you're so important to Seth. I understand why you followed your blood, by I hope that you understand that I had to protect my pack." Jake directed at the boy. Seth let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, that would be nice, thanks. I did love him, but I can't stand behind his actions. He never deserved to be an Alpha. You, however, seem to treat the role with the respect it deserves" Jackson said quietly, no longer fearing that we were about to attack him.

"All right, Seth, get him out of here and take care of him. I've got some things to discuss with the council and Sam." Jake concluded.

At that, we all broke off, Jake and Sam having called Sue and Old Quil to meet up at his house. I wondered if Jake was going to maintain the Alpha position, but knew that they'd figure out what was best for the tribe. I didn't worry myself about it, happy that we had gotten through another obstacle without being harmed. If nothing else, Jake's support of Seth's imprint gave me hope that he wouldn't reject me if he ever found out.

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><p>I like to think that the idea behind this chapter was somewhat original, but feel free to call me out if I'm wrong. I hope you at least found it interesting and worth reading. Once again, reviews are appreciated.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Well, hope that everyone enjoyed the action scene of the last chapter. This one's a little bit more toned down, but there's still a bit of fighting and a development that sets the final stage of the story in motion. Hope you enjoy, and as always, review if you feel like it.

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Hank's Lady: Glad that you enjoyed it. I wanted to give Seth an imprint, and this came to mind a few days ago. I also wanted to show how much Jake cared about the pack. Not sure if I'll address Paul for now, but just know this: even though you've done a stellar job at heartbreak, don't count me out of the cruelty contest quite yet ;)

oh2byoung: Good to know that I made you happy Matt. I liked the plot twist of an angry alpha with a more sensitive character for Seth to fall for. Hope you enjoy this one!

anubisfreak: Happy that you liked it. I hope that this one proves a good read as well.

chacra: I decided that Jake's power would be temporary. And I'm glad you enjoyed how everything played out last chapter!

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><p>Embry's POV<p>

Much to everyone's surprise, Jake restored Sam as the Alpha immediately after the conflict. He agreed to take over as the Beta however, intending to officially take control of the pack after he graduated the following summer. It had been assumed that Jake would keep control once he took it, but he truly didn't want it. He only agreed to take over this summer at Sam's request, with the older wolf agreeing to help as the pack's Beta when the time came. That being settled, the pack returned to how it had been, with no signs of a power struggle between the two.

The only difference was that now we had a new member. The council had agreed to allow Jackson to stay and had helped get him enrolled in school. He was Seth's year, and the two were practically inseparable. Jackson had moved into the spare room at the Clearwater's house, much to Seth's delight. They were taking things slow, building up a strong relationship that didn't revolve around lust.

Jackson was quiet around the pack, but did everything that was asked of him. Almost everyone liked him, even if Paul was still standoffish. He still didn't agree about the male imprinting thing, but never said anything for fear of what Jake would do to him. Jackson's acceptance of being a member of the pack had connected him to our mindlink and he was a valuable asset. I learned this firsthand on one of the patrols that I shared with him.

I had been tired lately. My mind was constantly focused on Jake, and it took everything I had to keep it hidden from the pack. Over the past month, nothing had changed. We remained best friends, hung out constantly, and all of the things that you would expect from friends. As time progressed, that friendship was no longer enough to keep the feelings of rejection from seeping into my mindset. I had completely lost hope that my longing for the future Alpha would ever be returned, and that had pretty much crushed my optimistic spirit.

So, back to the patrol. As usual, I was lost in my own head, quietly running the borders that I had been assigned. Jackson was being quiet on the other end as well, having seen my silent demeanor from our regularly scheduled patrols together. I didn't even notice the sound of the lurking vampire that had been tailing me for the last quarter mile. It was Jackson that alerted me to something nearby, and I began to focus on my job for the first time that afternoon.

Suddenly I caught sight of the blood red eyes and tried to spring at him, only to be knocked off balance by a flying tree trunk. After I regained my footing, he leaped at me, knocking me into a nearby tree. I realized that he had cut me open pretty badly, the blood beginning to run through my vision. I got back up, however and lunged. We ended up in a deadlock, him barely holding off my snapping jaw. I felt him push me off again, and just as he was going to launch at me again, I watched as the amber blur tackled him. Jackson quickly ripped off his head before checking on me. The cut across my head had sealed itself, and the blood was beginning to dry. Seeing that I was alright, he returned to his border, without ever exchanging a word.

We met up afterward and phased back, allowing Jared and Paul to take over patrol for the evening. We sat at Sam's eating the leftovers from the meal that the pack had shared while we were patrolling. I got up, preparing to head home. I turned to Jackson, who still hadn't said a word. "Thanks for the help today. I really appreciate it." I said, hoping he'd recognize the sincerity in my simple words. I did owe him the gratitude, considering that vampire was handling me pretty well. "No problem…" he hesitated. "Can I ask you something Embry?"

"Sure, what is it?" I responded, curious as to why he seemed so reluctant to talk to me.

"Um...Seth always talks about you, how you've always helped him out and have been there to talk to when he had issues. He says that you're the only one he ever told about his…preferences and that you never showed any judgment. Several of the pack share that same opinion, but you're always kinda cold-shouldered around me. I was just wondering why you didn't like me? I expected the attitude from Paul, but I don't know what I've done. I can't tell if it's that you don't like my intrusion into the pack? Or maybe it's because I'm gay and you actually don't support that lifestyle. Or that you're afraid that I'll hurt Seth, which I never will. Or maybe it's because you hate what my brother did to the pack. Whatever your reason, I'm confused as to what I did. I'm fine if you'd prefer that I just stay out of your way though. It's just that from everyone's opinion on you, I gathered that you'd be the one to give me a shot…" He rambled, looking at the ground.

I felt awful. Ever since he had joined the pack, my frustrations had been building. It had nothing to do with him, but I had been so caught up in my issues that I hadn't even shared small talk with the pup. It made sense that he'd get the idea that I didn't like him, as I hadn't been the affectionate version of me since he had arrived. "Listen Jackson, I don't mind you at all. It's just…" I paused, not really knowing what I could say to make him understand. "It's just that I've been having a hard time with some things. I'm happy for you and Seth, and want the best for both of you. I just haven't been pleasant with anyone in the past several weeks, and that's the only side of me you've seen." I finished, hoping that he'd understand.

"You realize that you can come to any of your brothers right? I noticed that you're really good at hiding your thoughts, but they're here to help you. I'd understand if you wouldn't want to share anything with me, but I've seen how close you, Seth, Quil, and Jake are. You shouldn't be burdening yourself like that…" he trailed off, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"It's just hard, you know? I'm the one that helps others through their troubles. I don't like burdening people with mine, and well…some of my troubles are just sensitive issues." I said, sighing as I felt the exhaustion creeping in.

"I understand where you're coming from. I hid the fact that I was gay all my life, mainly because of people like Paul. Not even my brother knew about it. Your pack, on the whole, seems to be extremely tolerant of most things. I don't know what exactly you're hiding, but remember that we're all willing to help if we can. I owe my new start to your pack, and I'd love to help if you need it." He took his hand off my shoulder. "You know where to find me if you want to talk…"

I liked this kid. He fit perfectly with Seth, and I felt that there couldn't be a better imprint relationship. The truth was, I didn't really care if people knew I was gay. Seth, Quil, and Jake knew, and they all accepted it. I didn't particularly care about the rest of the pack's reactions, knowing that some would be like Paul, while others would just brush it off, maybe even making a joke or two. I knew that my best friends could sense that something was bothering me. It was just easier for them all to _think_ that it was the issue that I was hiding. Jake was finally getting happy and moving on, and I was not going to throw this on him as he was recovering. So, if it meant that I was grumpy and in a bad mood, so be it. I just hoped that Jackson understood that I had no issue with him after our talk.

Things continued like that for a while. I tried to put on a brave face for everyone, never letting anyone know that I was borderline miserable underneath it all. It was winter break before things finally took a turn, but not in the direction that I had hoped it would. I was hanging out with Jake, Seth, and Jackson after we had patrolled. I had made it a point to prove that I supported Jackson and Seth, mentoring the pups whenever they had questions. Jackson had never really learned how to best use his wolf form, so I had worked with him to find his niche. Like Seth, he was a speedster, but did have a decent amount of power to go with it. He had been a really good addition, both as a wolf and as a friend. The four of us had grabbed a quick lunch at my place, and were sitting around playing video games when Jake got a call. His face lit up like a beacon, before heading for the door. "Bella just called. She said that she had something that she wanted to talk about. I'm probably just getting my hopes up, but maybe I've got one more shot!" He said gleefully, receiving a "Good luck" from the other two in the room while I let out an inaudible sigh.

We continued on for another hour before I felt the sharp pain radiating from my heart. If asked what a heart attack felt like, I would guarantee it was this. It was like someone had stabbed me with a sharp knife and was twisting the blade. I lurched over onto the floor, unable to hold myself together from whatever it was that was tearing my insides apart. Seth and Jackson were frantically trying to figure out what to do, but after several minutes the pain subsided to a strong ache across my body and I was able to move again. I didn't know what exactly had happened, but I could guarantee that Jake and Bella's meeting had gone in one of two ways. Either they had made up and he was hers completely, or she had finally shattered his heart. Either way, I felt the pain of rejection. Whether it was my rejection or his didn't matter right now. I just knew that I was no longer complete.

I told the other two that I wasn't feeling well and went up to my room. They worriedly let me go, and I lay on my bed until I heard Quil bursting through my door. "Embry!" He exclaimed. "Jake's gone! That leech lover invited him over there. He got his hopes up, but all she wanted was to invite him to her stupid wedding. Now he's taken off, shutting himself out from everybody else!" Quil rambled on about how we needed to find him. I told him that I was sick and couldn't do anything to help right now, but asked him to keep me updated. He could see how miserable I was and promised that he'd let me know if anything happened, ignoring the fact that we were supposed to be immune to sickness. At least now I knew what the pain was, but it wasn't much of a consolation. I curled up in a ball, hoping that things would get better. I should've learned by now that hoping for the best was not a good strategy in my life…

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><p>Well, Jake's run off (I know, not really an original concept, but it fit). If you liked it, feel free to let me know. If you didn't, express that as well. Or remain silent. Your call.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Hope you enjoyed the action in the last chapter. Built up some relationships, then tore everything down. Go ahead, call me cruel. I don't deny it. Oh well, here's another chapter. It switches POV a few times, but I hope that the changes will make sense. Hope you like it, and review if you decide that it's in your interest to do so!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, I guess I own Jackson, but nothing that's recognizable.

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Hank's Lady: What can I say my dear, I thrive on pain. Not really, but I do enjoy writing it haha. And I'm glad you liked Jackson. I'm trying to be careful how much I put into an OC. Not everyone really likes seeing them take on too much of a role...

chacra: Yeah...couldn't help but to make everyone suffer. And I don't know about my muse. She seems to have been kind to me on my first story. Don't know if I can risk sending her away, otherwise this may not get finished haha. And I don't like Bella as a character. Had to make her a villain again. We'll just have to see how things play out from here!

oh2byoung: Hope you enjoy your weekend of freedom Matt. Also glad that you enjoyed my small attempt at bringing an OC to life. Sadly, I don't know if Bella will get what you feel like she deserves. We'll see though...

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><p>Embry's POV<p>

Time began to creep by slowly. The first week I tried to function, fighting to make it through patrols and other responsibilities. I was glad that we were on break from school. I wasn't sure that I could give any kind of real effort to it. I didn't seem to be any worse off than Quil at this point. We both hurt losing Jake, and the only thing that I showed was a depressed demeanor. He didn't know about the fact that I had been crying myself to sleep at night. Jackson, Quil, and Seth tried to keep my spirits up. They were failing, but it wasn't their fault. Quil was taking the disappearance of his best friend hard as well. Seth considered Jake to be his role model and couldn't get over the fact that he had just abandoned us. Even Jackson was hurt, having grown close to Jake after he had been accepted so willingly by the Alpha. It's hard to really cheer others up when you're feeling the pain as well.

By the second week, I was a complete mess. I couldn't sleep without nightmares. Well, it really was just a nightmare, which played on repeat every time I closed my eyes. I would watch Jake's face, twisted in anger and disgust as he told me that he never wanted to see me again. The tears would stain my face, and he would finish by turning his back on me and banishing me from the reservation. I woke up in despair every time, curling into a ball in the middle of my bed. It was safe to say that my wolf was taking this abandonment as a final rejection, and I couldn't help but agree.

Along with the lack of restful sleep, I lost my appetite. I had no interest in anything mom made. She tried cooking my favorite things, but I could never stomach more than a couple bites. Eventually I just stopped leaving my room and cut myself off from everyone, not even able to talk anymore. Leaving the bed just didn't seem worth the energy anymore.

Quil was there every day. Despite my silence, he still tried to keep me up to date on everything that was happening. By now, the pack had given up on finding Jake, accepting that he'd have to come back on his own time. I could tell that Quil was beginning to worry at how I was carrying on. He was more aware of my feelings towards Jake than anyone else in the pack, and he tried his best to comfort me as I allowed myself to waste away.

In the third week, Quil looked like he was on the verge of collapse too. I guess I could understand how this was affecting him. One of his best friends had disappeared without a trace into the wilderness, while the other one had become a hollow shell. I hated that he was hurting too, but there wasn't anything I could do anymore. I was officially broken, and I no longer could hold back the tears that I had been hiding whenever he came around. He pulled me tightly, rocking me peacefully.

"It just hurts so much, Quil." I whispered. "I can't even explain. It's like I don't even want to carry on anymore."

Quil seemed lost in thought. He cooed me while I just cried myself to sleep, laying me down as I drifted into my recurring nightmare.

I woke up in the darkness. I felt a pull toward the window and looked out to see the full moon glisten against the snow that had apparently been falling. I don't know why, but I silently went downstairs and opened the front door, and stepped weakly out onto the ground. 2 weeks without moving had left me weak, but I couldn't fight whatever was compelling me forward. I walked into the forest, headed somewhere that I didn't know. I stopped in front of a tree, watching as a vampire sat there, singing a beautiful song that seemed to be pulling me toward her.

She paused, looking at me curiously. "A shifter? Normally my trap ensnares some broken soul, but I don't think I've ever caught one of your kind. I guess it'll do for now, but your blood isn't exactly what I was looking for." She mused, hopping down from the tree.

I felt no urge to fight her off as she pressed me up against a tree. What was the point? At least this was an end to the pain. I felt the numbness setting in as I embraced my fate, hoping to find comfort in the darkness…

Quil's POV

I had to be wrong. There was no way that he could have possibly held off the urge of an imprint for any extended period of time. That being said, I couldn't come up with an option that seemed any more viable. He looked exactly like I had whenever Claire had been taken home for the first time after I imprinted.

After I lay him back down to sleep, I took off to the Clearwater's house. Seth and Jackson had been with him when this all started. They were the only ones that could verify if Embry's pain was directly linked to Jake's disappearance.

I got there and knocked. Leah opened the door, a questioning look on her face.

"Are Seth and Jackson here? I have something important to ask." I explained quickly. She stood back and beckoned towards Seth's room. "Thanks Leah" I said, taking off towards the two wolves. I busted into the room, and was glad that they hadn't been doing anything that I wouldn't have wanted to see. It hadn't even crossed my mind to knock.

"What the hell, Quil!" Seth shouted.

"Sorry guys, but it's an emergency. Tell me exactly what happened when you were with Embry the day Jake left." I demanded, fearing the result.

Seth looked startled, but Jackson was quick to respond. "He was perfectly normal for about an hour after Jake left to go see Bella. Then he just collapsed to the floor, holding his heart. He lay there for a few minutes before mumbling and going up to his room…" Jackson concluded.

Shit…there was no mistaking it. Embry had felt the pain of Jake's reaction to Bella's invitation to the wedding. The time away was literally killing him. Embry _had_ imprinted on Jake.

"Thanks guys!" I shouted, storming off towards the forest. If I didn't get in touch with Jake, we were going to lose Embry, and I couldn't let that happen. I crossed into the trees, stripping down and tying the clothes to my leg, quickly phasing into wolf form. I could hear Sam and Jared phased, but I kept my thoughts controlled for now. "Guys, I need you both to end your patrol and phase back" I said, pleading that they would accept. "Why?" Sam demanded. "If you two are phased, there's no way that I'm going to get Jake to respond. I have to talk to him privately, if he's out there. I'm begging you to just listen to me this time. You can double my patrols or whatever you want, but please, phase out now!" I begged. "All right Quil, I don't know what you have up your sleeve, but I can tell that there's something going on. Jared, go ahead and phase back. We'll stop patrols until Quil says to resume them." I felt them phase out and prayed that Jake would finally let us in.

"Jake, I need to know that you're out there. I'm just going to say what I have to say, but if you're there, you _need_ to listen to me. If you don't come back, Embry is going to **die**. Please…please listen! I can't stand losing either of you!" I cried, waiting for a reply. I was really worried that he had sealed himself off completely, and couldn't help but think that I might lose my best friend over this heartbreak…

Jake's POV

I had been perfectly fine wallowing in self-pity in my cave. Nobody had been able to find me, and I was pretty sure that they'd given up trying. That's when I heard Quil's desperate pleas. One line stood out among them all. "_If you don't come back, Embry is going to die._" The words echoed in my mind, drowning out everything else. What could he possibly mean by that? I know that Embry liked me, but come on, Quil was still powering through. He had to be overreacting.

I dropped my walls, finally letting my presence be known. I knew that it was just Quil & I phased. "What do you mean, Quil? What's wrong with him?" I responded, slightly worried that Quil might not be making this up.

"Oh Jake, thank God you're alive. Listen, you may not believe this, but I'm almost positive that Embry imprinted on you." Quil quickly stated.

"What are you talking about? I know that you said that he liked me, but I've seen how your mind always thinks of Claire. There's no way that he could have kept that hidden from us!" I shouted, starting to think that he was using this discussion just to figure out where I was.

"Listen to me Jake! After you left Embry's house, you went over to Bella's. It wasn't too long before she broke your heart and you took off. From what I can tell, at the exact moment that you ran away devastated, Embry collapsed to the floor, feeling the pain. He has been deteriorating every day since you left. It's like he doesn't even have the will to live anymore!" Quil cried, begging me to at least consider his explanation.

Along with his words, he sent me images. He showed me what he had seen back in Seattle, back when he found out about Embry's love for me and the night of drinking he'd had to endure after Embry had seen me with Rachel, mistaking her for a girlfriend. He proceeded to show me what he'd been like for the last few weeks. Embry had been getting thinner, refusing to eat. His body was wasting away and he wasn't leaving his room or speaking to anyone. "_It just hurts so much, Quil. I can't even explain. It's like I don't even want to carry on anymore_." Those were the only words he had said in weeks.

God…Embry had imprinted on me. There was no mistaking the pain that he was going through was more than from just a simple "infatuation" as he had described it to Quil in Seattle. It was starting to make sense. How his eyes lit up whenever I made the smallest gesture of kindness towards him. Why he had so willingly thrown his body between mine and the vampire back this summer. I had just attributed everything to our close friendship. He wasn't just in love with me, he was willing to do whatever he could to keep me safe and happy, even if he suffered. Even though he hated to do it, he had always been there when I was broken by Bella. After everything he had done for me, I had just abandoned him, thinking only of my own sadness. Not only was I a horrible friend, I had completely betrayed the person who was meant to be my soul mate and been blinded to the fact that he was always there for me. I didn't deserve his love…

"I believe you Quil," I said, looking at the moon that was beginning to rise in the sky. "I'm on my way back…"

With those simple words, I took off towards the reservation, pushing my legs as fast as I could. I ran for hours, finally reaching the La Push border at about midnight, judging by the moon. As I neared, I picked up on the scent of a vampire and…Embry? I drove into the ground faster than I thought possible, coming upon Embry pinned against a tree. He didn't even seem to be fighting off the leech that was about to end his life. I closed the distance between us. There was no way that I was going to let him die because of what I'd done…

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><p>Once again, Embry's life could end. Actually, it really could. I believe that there are only a few chapters left. I guess I'll just have to decide whether to allow a happy ending or go severely angsty for the last few. Review, let me know what you want. Otherwise, I might go to the coin flip before starting the next chapter.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Well, after thinking about it, I decided on which way to go with it. I felt that it was the direction that I wanted to go, and I hope that everyone understands that without getting angry. Also, as much as I hate to bring it to an end, I feel that the next chapter will be the last. I believe that the story has run it's course, and I hope that everyone finds the last couple of chapters to be satisfying. As always, your reviews are appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for Jackson.

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Hannah Smith: I'm glad that you've enjoyed the story, even if it is outside of your normal interest. I hope you continue to enjoy it as it comes to its conclusion!

Hank's Lady: I'm really glad that the chapter was able to evoke some decent emotion. Your & Matt's support has really meant a lot to me through this process.

mangagranatcat: Glad that you enjoyed it. I understand where you're coming from about life not being fair, but I hope you're not disappointed in the ending.

rAbiDmutt03: That's actually a really cool idea. I might do that someday, but after thinking about it heavily, I decided that I'd keep my first story simple and linear. I hope you're not disappointed that I'm only going to write one ending to give it a true since of closure, but I do think it's a great idea that could be well implemented. It's just, at least for me, I could only get behind and truly 'feel' one ending. I really appreciate the idea though.

chacra: I've got a bit of a habit of enjoying cliffhanger chapters. That was the last really suspenseful one though!

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><p><strong>Jake's POV<strong>

Time seemed to slow down as I charged at the leech threatening to end my best friend's – no, my soul mate's – life. In my mind, I could see the field that the newborn battle had taken place at and the final vampire sinking his teeth into Embry. Embry, who had put himself between me and that leech. Just like after the attack, Embry was suffering because of me. I watched as she began to lower her teeth towards his neck, but I was NOT going to let this happen again.

I launched myself, tackling her to the ground. She screamed in pain as I ripped her arms off in two quick motions. "You mutt!" She yelled. "Can't you see, I was doing him a favor! Only those who have given up come into my grasp!" Her words hurt. I had led Embry to this point, forcing him to give up on living. I snarled at her, and as I ripped off her head, I could only think that I would do anything possible to make sure that he recovered and never became so vulnerable again. Even if he hated me – and I deserved it for everything I had put him through – I would understand and do what he asked, even if it meant never seeing him again. I didn't deserve him, but would do whatever I could to make sure that he was happy, one way or another.

I phased back, pulling on my shorts, and ran over to Embry, who had slunk down against the tree that the leech had pinned him to. I gently lifted him up and began carrying him back to his house. His eyes, fluttered open and I stared deep into them. Suddenly everything became about him. The light had finally been cut on, and I could see that it was always supposed to be Embry. He was the only thing holding me to this earth and his happiness is all that I needed in the world. I needed to protect him, to show him that he was loved, and to do whatever he asked of me. I only hoped that he'd still want me in his life.

"Are you really here?" He asked weakly.

"Yes, Em, I'm here. And I'm always going to be. Now, get some rest. You need it." I whispered.

He stopped fighting his exhaustion and nuzzled his head into my chest. It felt right, having him so close. I just hated that it'd taken him breaking down for me to finally realize the depth of our connection.

As I approached his house, I saw that the lights were on. I got to the door, only to find Embry's worried mother ushering me into the house. I silently carried him up the stairs, placing him gently in his bed before walking back to explain what had happened to his mother. She at least knew about the wolves, which meant that I didn't need to lie too much.

She sat on the couch, beckoning for me to join her as I neared. I sat down and she started asking a stream of questions. "How is he? What happened? Where did he go? How did you find him?" and so on. After she calmed down, I told her about finding him engaged with a vampire that he had sensed. I couldn't bring myself to admit that he had been lulled into a trap because of what I'd done. Actually, I had no idea if she even knew about how much he loved me.

As if sensing my thoughts, she pulled me into a hug. "I'm not surprised that it was you who rescued him." She started. "You know, he's cared about you for a long time. He's never admitted it to me, but I think that he's loved you for years." I nodded, feeling a tear creep down my face. How could I have been so stupid? I had relied on the pack mentality to know how everyone felt about things for so long that I had been completely blind to the fact that my best friend was hurting because of me.

"I will never let him hurt because of me again" I said softly.

"I know you won't Jake. Just, go be with him right now. He's been a mess since you left, and I think he needs you by his side more than anything. I'll have breakfast ready in the morning. I think he might finally eat with you here. Now, however, I think we could all use a little rest. You look pretty rough." She said, a small smile creeping across her face.

I laughed and took my exit, walking back up to Embry's room. He lay in the middle of the bed, shivering and whimpering, as if still in a nightmare. I lay down with him, wrapping my arms around him in a protective embrace. He seemed to calm down and his steady heart rate filled my ears, serving as a lullaby as I drifted into deep sleep. I'd just have to beg for his forgiveness in the morning…

**Embry's POV (picking up from when he was in the forest)**

I had been waiting for the pain to come, but it never did. I was suddenly not being held up by death's embrace, and I quickly slid down the tree. I could hear screaming from the vampire, but the next thing I knew, everything was silent. I was being lifted up by warm strong arms and I fought to open my eyes. I couldn't believe what I saw, knowing that my eyes were playing tricks on me. I weakly tried to see if this was real, only to be told to rest. I couldn't fight it anymore, and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

The peace didn't last long. A new nightmare emerged. I sat there, looking at Jake, standing in a blinding light. He turned around, walking away from me, and no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up. I finally collapsed on the ground, whimpering that I'd never be able to get to him. Suddenly, I looked up and saw him, and he just held me. The dream ended, but I still felt the comfort, and for the first time that I could remember, I felt completely safe.

I woke up several hours later, trying to piece together what had had happened in my dream. I remembered being attacked and saved by my imprint. I really must be losing it. That's when I realized that I couldn't move. I was being held tightly, and as I inhaled, I took in the scent that I would recognize no matter what was happening. I could see the russet arms wrapped around my chest, but I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Jake's body that I was curled up against. I tried to get free to think about the situation, but I was still too weak. My struggles did succeed in waking him up, however, and he released me, allowing me turn to face him.

"What are you doing here, Jake?" I asked, unable to comprehend that he was actually here.

"I'm here because I want…no, because I need to be…" he said silently. "Why did you never tell me that you had imprinted?" He questioned, and I felt the sinking feeling in my gut. He had come all the way back because he had felt obligated after learning my true secret.

"Listen, Jake. You don't have to worry about it. I'm not asking you to be with me. I'd never take away your free will. You can just reject me and get it over with. Just know that I don't blame you, so you can be guilt free, as long as it means that you're happy." I said, fighting off the tears. I had to be strong to allow him to live his life.

What happened next made me rethink whether or not I was actually awake. I felt his lips press gently against mine, passionately caressing my mouth. I stared in his eyes when he broke away, gasping from shock. "What are you doing?" I asked, stunned.

"What I should have done a long time ago. I'm so sorry I hurt you, Em. I was so blinded that I couldn't see that it was you that was there for me. You always took care of me, protected me from danger, and served as my crying shoulder when I was so caught on Bella. I should've been able to get over it and be there for you, not always taking from you. I understand if you don't want me anymore, but I can't allow you to suffer because of me again. I needed you to know that I…that I love you, Em…" He trailed off, his words dripping with sincerity.

I had no words, and simply let the tears flow out as he pulled me into an embrace. These were the words I had always wanted to hear. Could it be possible that everything was going to work out?

"Does that mean that you'll…stay with me?" I asked, shyly.

"I'll never leave you, unless you demand it of me." He said, humorously. "There's something you need to know, though, Em…" He finished, waiting until I nodded for him to continue.

"I may have…um…imprinted on you when I found you." He said. I dropped my head, but he immediately lifted my chin so that I was staring in his eyes. "I don't want you to think that's why I care about you though. You need to know that once I figured out how you had always loved me that I came back because I wanted you. It's not any kind of obligation. I _wanted_ to be with you, and the imprint just sort of sealed the deal." He said, begging me with his eyes to believe him.

I could tell that there was no deceit in his eyes. "I love you, Jake" I answered as I rolled over on top of him, leaning in for a kiss. He grabbed my head passionately and nibbled on my lip, begging for entrance. I obliged, and our tongues began to explore each other's mouths. I couldn't have felt more complete, but the moment had to be ruined.

"Embry!" I heard my mom yell from downstairs. The smell of food was drifting up from the kitchen and my stomach growled loud enough to challenge my wolf. Jake looked saddened and rolled me off of him. "You need to eat. I've seen…I've seen the pain I caused you over the past few weeks…" He said, sorrow plaguing each word.

"It's not your fault Jake. You had your own issues, and maybe if I had ever had the guts to admit things, we could have both been saved a lot of heartache." I said, pulling him into a hug. He smiled slightly before throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me down the stairs.

"Aww boys, good to see you up and alive this morning" My mom said, smiling as Jake put me back on the ground.

"Um…there's something I need to tell you, Mom…" I said, afraid to look at her.

"If you're worried about telling me that you're gay, or in love with Jake, you don't have to worry about it. I already figured it out. I just wished that you'd talked to me about it, but you always were my little introvert." She finished, pulling me into a hug. "Thanks Mom. I love you…" I said, tears threatening to fall. "I love you too, son, and nothing will ever change that." She said, a smile plastered on her face.

"All right, let's work on getting you back into shape" Jake laughed, placing a plate in front of an empty chair and pulling me toward it. Mom made him a large plate as well, claiming to have already eaten and left to watch the morning news.

We sat there, making small talk for a while before Jake decided to discuss some more important things.

"When did it happen?" he asked, catching me off guard. "When did you imprint on me?" He clarified.

"Um…when you phased for the first time. It's the main reason that I didn't phase after you. I needed to get a grip and hide it before I phased again." I responded, remembering the night over a year and a half ago.

"Did you ever think that it'd have been better if you'd told me?" He questioned.

"To be honest, no, I didn't. You were stuck on Bella. You still thought that you had a chance, and I know how you felt about imprinting. I needed you to still have your free will. Being bound wouldn't have made you happy…" I trailed off.

"I'm sorry Em, and I hate that you're probably right. But, Embry, I want you to know that I don't feel like it's an obligation. I am so happy that I'm with. I just wish that it hadn't taken so much pain to make it happen" He said, with the smile that I loved so much covering his entire face. "Do you want to tell the pack?" He asked lightly, not seeming to care about going public so quickly.

"Are you not worried about how they'll react? I mean, it could create some tension." I really was a worrier.

"I don't really care, Em. You saw how they took Jackson and Seth. I don't want you to hide anymore, but I won't pressure you into anything." He said, brushing his hand across my face.

"I guess I'd like to." I responded hesitantly. "Just give me a few days to get myself back in order. I'm still a little bit weak after the past couple weeks."

"Me too pup, me too." He said, as we finished our plates.

The next few days went without incident. The pack was glad to hear that Jake was back. With the exception of Quil, they'd been more caught up in Jake's departure than my illness. Finally, I felt strong enough and we agreed to tell the pack at the meeting that day. Meetings alternated between Jake's and Sam's as they had been splitting the duties before Jake's abrupt disappearance. Today's was at Jake's, Emily having begged to be able to have one day to get the house cleaned. We walked in, and after Sam gave out patrol schedules and talked about recent encounters, Jake cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"I want you guys to know that I imprinted." He said calmly. There were a number of shouts of support from the group. Quil was beaming, knowing what was coming next.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Seth asked, glad that his idol had finally found the happiness that he'd been experiencing for the past couple of months.

"Well…it's not a girl. I know that it may come as a shock, but I imprinted on Embry." Jake finished, staring me in the eyes as he said it. I couldn't help but scan the room and take in their responses. Most of them seemed surprised. Seth, Jackson, and Quil had goofy grins across their faces, while Paul simply shook his head.

The short silence was finally broken when Sam walked over to me and pulled me into a big hug. "I'm happy for you, little brother." He stated before walking back over to his chair. Everyone was accepting of it, and Paul finally stood up and walked over to me, Seth, and Jackson. Seth instinctively hid Jackson behind him and Jake almost made a move to come over until I shook my head at him. I wanted to see what Paul had to say.

He looked at the ground, seeming really nervous. "I just…I wanted to apologize to all of you. I shouldn't take out the fact that I haven't been able to find someone on you guys. I know that what you have is more than anything I've ever had with a girl, and I was just jealous. I hope that you'll forgive me for my disrespect." He finished, looking up at us for the first time.

I simply pulled him into a hug. He seemed shocked, but didn't pull away. "Thanks Paul. That took a lot of guts." I whispered, letting him go. He nodded to us, walking away towards the door, only to be stopped when he ran into a girl that had been coming in.

I watched and a huge smile crept across my face as I saw the look on his face as he stared into her eyes. Then I noticed that the girl looked oddly familiar. Realization hit me as I looked over at Jake's stunned face. The girl was none other than Rachel, Jake's sister that had come home to spend a few days with her family during winter break. Paul was completely speechless and I had to run to intercept Jake, pulling him away before he got to Paul.

"I'm going to kill him!" Jake shouted, beginning to shake in fury.

I put my hands on the back of his neck, forcing him to look at me. "You're going to do no such thing. He'll make your sister happier than anyone else can. Paul deserves this and I will not allow you to take away his source of happiness. Don't even think about it." I concluded, never breaking eye contact.

He sighed heavily, but nodded in compliance.

We walked out to see the newly imprinted couple, talking on the porch. Jake walked out and put his hand on Paul's shoulder, giving him a nod of acceptance. I was happy for Paul, especially after he had been respectful enough to apologize for his actions. Talk about some good karma. As I stood there chuckling, I couldn't help but question if this imprinting thing was really as rare as the elders said it was. All I knew was that I had _my_ Jake, and nothing was going to tear us apart.

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><p>Well, there you have it. I've decided to give the poor kids a break. Next chapter will be the finale, and I'll probably throw on an Authors Note chapter just to close. I hope you've enjoyed this story thus far, and if you have (or wish to voice any problems that you have with it), I'd love to read it in a review or message.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Well, here it is, the final chapter of "Embry's Secret Imprint." Hope that you enjoy it and that you found the story to be worth the read. I'll tack on an Author's Note with final comments right after this chapter. As always, reviews are appreciated!

Disclaimer: I still own nothing, except for Jackson

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><p>Reviews:<p>

Hank's Lady: Your pleas did not go unheard. I couldn't stand the idea of making you mad at the end ;) Hope that you enjoy this small closer!

Abysslullaby: Yeah, decided to be a nice guy in the end. Hope you liked it!

TurnItUp03: Yeah, I was feeling a happy ending. As for Paul, I like him too much to not allow him to redeem himself. Glad you enjoyed it!

oh2byoung: Good to have you back, bud. Glad that you enjoyed the last one, and I hope that you're happy with how everything ends!.

anubisfreak: Glad you enjoyed it! Hope that you like the last chapter!

chacra: Glad that you liked it. Decided to channel what little optimism I had and give a happy ending. I hope that you find the conclusion to be satisfying!

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><p>Embry's POV<p>

After winter break, we stepped back into our routine. School was pretty mundane, but with one semester left, it didn't seem like as much of a hassle. I had Quil and Jake in several of my classes, and even had Jackson in one of my electives. We all became much closer, not having the constant danger of another conflict hanging over our heads, at least for now.

None of us tried to hide our relationships. Even in such a small community, people were accepting of who we were. Albeit, to be fair, I wouldn't have said anything to bring on our anger either. It didn't hurt that we were all still considered to be the toughest group in school, so we didn't have to worry about anyone trying to gang up on us. That didn't stop Seth and Jake from trying to be protective, but for the most part, it was unnecessary.

The final major event to help Jake put a seal on the past and look forward to the future was Bella's wedding. He had been hesitant to go after how he had reacted from the invitation itself, but I knew that he needed the closure. "Will you go with me?" He asked a few weeks before the ceremony. "Jake, I wouldn't leave you there alone, even if you asked me to." I responded. We both knew it was a lie. I'd do anything that he asked of me, but it got the message across.

We got in the car, dressed up in suits. He looked anxious, and I couldn't help but worry that he might still be having feelings for her. I knew that he had imprinted, but it didn't mean that I didn't have my occasional moments of insecurity. She had, after all, been the one that he had loved for years. Sensing my discomfort, Jake reached over and put his hand on my knee as he continued to drive towards the Cullen's house.

When we arrived, we sat down in the back row of chairs. We had been the only two from the pack to come, though the rest sent their best wishes. Despite the fact that we all got along now, the others didn't really want to be around this many vampires. If it hadn't been for Jake, I wouldn't be here either.

The wedding itself was beautiful. I shouldn't be too surprised, considering that Alice was involved. From what I had seen, that girl could decorate. She did have a lot of practice after all. Bella was wearing a traditional wedding dress, and actually looked quite stunning in it. I didn't particularly like seeing the girl, but I knew that this was important to Jake. The wedding was pretty standard, with the exception that they had written their own vows, as cliche as it sounds. All-in-all, it was a nice, quaint event. Everyone looked happy for the couple, and Jake seemed to be calm.

After the ceremony, the party started up. Jake and I were standing near the bar when Bella came over to talk to him. He looked to me for confirmation, and I nodded, knowing that whatever they were going to say was needed. They walked onto the dance floor and I couldn't help but to eavesdrop while I took a few swigs from my beer. My heart was pounding, but deep down I knew that Jake would never leave me. At least, I hoped that was the case.

"It really means a lot to me that you came today, Jake. I know it was hard, but I'm glad that you were able to be here." She started.

"Listen Bells, I have something to say to you." He said. I couldn't help but feel my stomach tighten as I waited for him to continue. "I came today to say goodbye." He finished.

"Why? We can still be friends after this…" she murmured.

"No, Bella, we can't. Every time I look at you, I remember how much I hurt Embry. Although I'm over how I felt about you, I can't forgive myself for the pain I put him through and being around you doesn't help. So, I'm happy that you have your husband, but I'm afraid that we won't be able to talk after this. You made your choice, and I have to make mine." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Bella." He walked away from the girl, tears welling up in her eyes. "Goodbye, Jake" I heard her whisper as he made his way back to me.

I pulled Jake into a kiss when he got back. "I forgive you, you know that" I whispered into his ear. "Doesn't mean I forgive myself, at least not yet. Ready to blow this joint?" He smiled.

"Only if that's what you want Jake. It'll always be whatever you want." I said as he pulled me back to the car and we began driving back to the reservation.

"I love you, Jake." I said, leaning against him as he drove.

"I love you too, Em. Until the end of time." He responded, pulling me closer. I knew that today he'd finally start moving on and I would do whatever it took to make sure that he forgave himself.

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><p>Over time, things have finally quieted down. Sure, there are the occasional vampires that wander through, but nothing serious has happened in a long while. It was nice getting to focus on being ourselves again, not thinking about other packs or newborn armies or the vampire guard that we had so often been warned about.<p>

The summer after we graduated, Jake officially took on the role of Alpha, much to Sam's relief. I can't say that I loved the fact that he had to take on the responsibility of the whole pack, but I would never stand in the way of his destiny. Jake had appointed Quil as his Beta, knowing that his best friend had no intention of retiring until after Claire had caught up to his age, if she decided that she wanted to be with him. He had asked me, but I honestly didn't want a position of power. I was perfectly fine helping him without the title, and I knew that Quil would be perfect for it anyway. Plus, it meant a lot more to Quil, and I'd never want to make him feel left out just because Jake and I had imprinted on each other. Quil had been there for me through everything and if this helped keep our friendship tight, it was well worth it.

With the major threats gone, we didn't add any new wolves to the pack. In fact, several members began to retire. Sam, Jared, and Paul – the original three members of the pack – all decided to hang it up after that summer. They had their human imprints and had no interest in staying the same age while their girls got older. Sure, if things got too bad, they could always call upon their spirits again, but we understood why they'd want to live normal lives after everything that had happened over the years. Hell, even Leah imprinted on a young guy named Rick after a couple of years, and also decided to retire once he got to be the same age as her.

Jake and I had a long talk about what we should do. Now that he was the Alpha, he felt the need to stay a wolf for a while. I completely understood, but asked if he had ever thought about never giving it up. He bit on his lip, finally admitting that he had imagined what it'd be like to spend forever together, and I agreed, at least for now. Plus, if we stayed and another danger came up, we'd be a strong core to help the new pack out.

The pack now stood at seven. Seth and Jackson seemed to hold the same beliefs as Jake and I. Even though we knew that continuing to phase would eventually leave us alone as everyone else aged, we couldn't stand the thought of not being together with our imprints for eternity. Considering how slow everything was, we weren't too worn down, and none of us really wanted to leave La Push at this point anyway. The two pups remained as well. They were perfectly content staying young, at least until they found their imprints like everyone else had. Between the seven of us, we had no trouble warding off any small bands of vampires that came through.

I still find it hard to believe that this is all real sometimes. I keep expecting to wake up and not have Jake by my side, but every morning he's here, holding me in his arms. I didn't think that I'd ever find this happiness, and even though it took a lot of pain to get here, I couldn't be more content with life. I have my best friends, my family, and most importantly, the love of my life who I'll do anything for. Life, in a word, is _perfect_.

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><p>Well, that's it. This was the closing of the story, and I hope that you enjoyed it. Please review if you have anything to say! All that's left is an Author's Note, which will be posted directly after this. Thanks for accompanying me on my first journey as a writer!<p> 


	14. Author's Note

Well everyone, I hope that you enjoyed my first attempt at writing. "Embry's Secret Imprint" was a thought that came to me one night and I finally decided to see if I could put it down on paper (or the digital equivalent). It might be a bit rough around the edges, but I hope that it wasn't too bad for a first timer.

So, time for some acknowledgments. I'd like to thank Hank's Lady & oh2byoung for their constant support throughout the process. You two kept me grounded as I tried my hand at this. Your demand for updates (and keeping me inspired with updates of your own) really made a difference in getting this written. Seriously, you two are great friends to have found on here. Also, thanks to TurnItUp03, chacra, and everyone else who reviewed throughout the writing of this story. I really appreciate your words of encouragement and advice as I tried to shape out an acceptable story.

I hope that those of you who were reading this with the hope of a lemon will forgive me. I didn't really feel the inspiration for one in this story. If I end up writing again, I'll try to make it a little more juicy for those of you who wanted it.

For those that are interested, I've decided to write a second fic (after some gracious reviews from a few people). "The Dark Wolf" starts as a Paul origin story and will eventually become a Paul/Seth fic. I've rated it Mature because I intend to try my hand at lemons in it (and other reasons). It'll be a bit angst-driven, as that's what I enjoy to write and it is slightly AH/AU, as I'm changing the back story on Paul a bit. Other characters will also feature some differences, and you'll notice that I'm not holding to the traditional character pairings as it progresses. There's a good chance that things will turn out differently than in the books, but I haven't gotten that far yet. So, if you enjoyed this one, I hope that you'll give TDW a shot. Updates will be slightly slower, but I will try to post regularly, as work allows.

Until later,

SoundShield11


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